Patriarch Porphyry has consecrated the Holy Trinity Church in the Argentine city of Resistencia, as reported by the Serbian Orthodox Church. After the service, he addressed the congregation, stating, "With the appearance of this church, the city has gained its Orthodox soul."

The consecration ceremony was attended by numerous bishops, including Bishop Kirill of Buenos Aires and South Central America. The Buenos Aires and South Central American Diocese is the youngest within the Serbian Orthodox Church, having been established in 2011. Currently, the diocese has parishes and missions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala.

Resistencia is located in the Chaco Province in northeastern Argentina. Construction of the Serbian church in Resistencia began in 2018 when local authorities allocated land for it. The church was built with contributions from the local Orthodox community, which includes descendants of immigrants from Montenegro and Serbia, as well as associations uniting descendants of Greeks, Ukrainians, Russians, Bulgarians, and members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Porphyry of Serbia made his first archpastoral visit to Argentina on November 2. During his visit, he also toured the Serbian Monastery of St. Nicholas in Machagai and met with high-ranking officials of the Argentine government, mayors, and provincial governors, as well as the Cardinal of Buenos Aires and representatives of the Serbian embassy.

Photo: spc.rs