Metropolitan Amfilohije visits Dominican Republic

His Eminence Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral kyr Amfilohije, bishop-administrator of the Diocese of Buenos Aires and South-Central American, visited from October 1-3, 2012 the Dominican Republic, regarding the organization of the church community of our Patriarchate in this Caribbean country.

After having heard last year about a presence of our emmigrants in the Dominican Republic, what also was confirmed by the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia on Cuba, Metropolitan Amfilohije managed to visit Dominican Republic, despite busy schedule, and he was accompanied by protodeacon Igor Balaban.

The Dominican Republic has two missionary parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, but also there is a need as well as in whole South and Central America, for the stronger presence of the Orthodox Church in this region. The main reason is the presence of many tourists of the Orthodox faith, especially from Russia, and few hundreds Orthodox believers from former Yugoslavia who mostly had come in last fifteen years.

The Metropolitan on this occasion in a place La Romana met with fifteen representatives of our emmigration from all parts of the Dominican Republic and founded the Church committee of the Transfiguration of Christ. The committee immediatelly launched an idea of building a church in Dominican Republic.

On the arrival at the airport, Ramon de la Rocha, a honorary consul of the Republic of Serbia in the Dominican Republic also welcomed the Metropolitan, and offered his help in business relating an organization of the parish. Sinisa Bijelic and Alen Trokic, who live in the Dominican Republic, helped the most in the organization of this visit.

The Metropolitan during his visit also performed a wedding of a married couple.

Source: Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral