On the Feast of the Cross, September, 27, 2021, an Orthodox Cross was erected and blessed in Dominica, an island country in the Carribean. The Cross has been installed on land where an Orthodox Church is going to be built. It will be the first-ever in this country, reported priest George Maximov of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate.

The land for construction was donated by Gabriel, a newly converted local businessman. The installation of the Cross was paid for by sponsors in Russia. The blessing service was held by hieromonk Ambrose (Sitalo), who oversees the Orthodox Christian mission in the Caribbean.

Hieromonk Ambrose recalls: “I accepted the leadership of the Christian community at the request of about 50 Orthodox people in Grenada, which they sent on February 10, 2019, to His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York. In response to this petition from the faithful, Vladyka ordained me to the priesthood at the Manhattan Synodal Cathedral in New York City, and after completing the prescribed practice at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, blessed me to go to the flock. He also gave me a blessing to visit neighboring islands and to take pastoral care of local Orthodox Christians in need of a church and a priest.”

Father Ambrose was then sent as the Parish Rector to the Parish of St Georges, Grenada, one of four Russian Orthodox parishes in the region. Other Orthodox parishes are located in Antigua, Puerto Rico and Guadelupe.