FROM GUATEMALA WITH LOVE : MAYAN ORTHODOXY COMES TO THE U.S.A.

The legacy of Fr. Andres lives on in America. Led by their charismatic leader in Guatemala- the late Father Andres Giron (2014), the Mayan people found a champion to vigorously address their spiritual and material needs. The social movement began with his advocacy for land reform and their … [Read more...]

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GUATEMALAN PRIEST

     What’s it like to be an itinerant priest in Guatemalan, visiting your many parishes on a bi-monthly basis? With so much to do and so little time for hearing confessions, performing weddings and baptisms and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, there is both a sense of “great joy and great sorrow,” … [Read more...]

WITH THE FAITH OF ANGELS A CHURCH IS BUILT

Solomon, I have outdone thee,” were the words spoken by Justinian the Great in the 6th century as he beheld the awe-inspiring beauty of his newly rebuilt cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God- St. Sophia in Constantinople. Since that time, Orthodox Christian churches have endeavored to replicate … [Read more...]

THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS IN GUATEMALA

From the Saturday of Lazarus to the celebration of Pascha, we walked in Jesus’ footsteps in and through the humble village of Aguacate. Through our Orthodox Holy Week rituals the Mayan faithful felt the power of Christ’s passion, transforming the familiar ground upon which they walked into their own … [Read more...]

NEW VIDEO UPDATE ON CLINIC

Archbishop Athenagoras of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, motivated by his pastoral concern and deep love for the Mayan people, initiated the construction of the FATHER ANDRES GIRON CLINIC in the remote village of Aguacate, Guatemala. Now after two years of compassionate medical outreach … [Read more...]

HOLY CROSS PARISH MEDICAL/DENTAL TEAM OFFERS CARE IN GUATEMALA

Four years ago, the first OCMC mission team to visit the Mayan Orthodox Christians in the highlands of Guatemala elicited this poignant response from the late Fr. Andres Giron: “Now we know that we are not alone.” Since that time many teams have arrived offering their musical, catechetical, medical, … [Read more...]

FINDING PARADISE IN THE MISSION FIELD

What is the happiness that God calls us to?  Can we find paradise on earth?  Serving now as I do in the fertile mission field of Guatemala, I often experience privileged moments of spiritual joy in the humblest of settings.  My first such mission epiphany occurred in Tanzania upon my arrival some … [Read more...]

MEDICAL MISSION UPDATE- GUATEMALA

As the debate rages on in the US  over medical insurance, poor people in countries like Guatemala can only dream that one day they might have some kind of medical coverage or even a doctor to see them. The scale of the crisis in the highlands of Guatemala where we have our clinic is not so much … [Read more...]

Avian Adoration- by Alexandra Chakos

We were blessed to celebrate Epiphany in the village of Aguacate. The faithful congregation always arrives an hour before the Liturgy in eager anticipation. It is inspiring to witness the vibrancy of their faith. Men, women, and children of every age pack the church. It was a lengthy service, … [Read more...]

CATHEDRALS OF THE POOR IN GUATEMALA

The experience of worshipping with the indigenous people in their small churches made of baked mud and clay or wooden planks defies description. These are the cathedrals of the poor, every bit as magnificent as the hallowed shrines of Orthodoxy in the great centers of the world. What a great mystery … [Read more...]