Guatemala’s First Greek Orthodox Bishop Consecrated

OCP News Service – 22/10/2024

Guatemala City – Guatemala: A historic milestone for the Greek Orthodox Church in Central America was reached on October 13, 2024, as the first Guatemalan bishop was consecrated. Bishop-elect Evangelos Pata Tuctuc of Sasima was ordained at the Orthodox Seminary in Huehuetenango.

The consecration ceremony was led by Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, Exarch of Central America and the Caribbean Islands of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, with the assistance of auxiliary bishops Athenagoras of Myrina and Timothy of Assos. Thousands of faithful attended the event, filling the covered outdoor church.

Bishop Osios, as he is now known, is a spiritual protégé of Andrés Girón, a missionary to the Maya people. He will serve as Regional Supervisor of Central America, overseeing Guatemala and Mexico’s Chiapas region.

The new bishop oversees a total of 114 parishes and communities with a population of 300,000 indigenous faithful. He is assisted by a small team of priests and deacons who serve without salary.

The consecration of Bishop Osios marks a significant achievement for the Orthodox Church in Guatemala, where thousands of native Guatemalans have converted to the faith in recent decades. His ordination is a testament to the growing presence and influence of the Orthodox Church in Central America.

Source:

OCP News Service