Orthodox Christianity in Latin America is gradually drawing more local followers, including young educated people, and the Church’s main task in the region is to build a stable, long-term mission, a Costa Rican priest told an interview portal.

In an interview with the website “Život Crkve,” Archpriest Ignacio Miranda described his own path to Orthodoxy and the situation of Orthodox communities in Costa Rica. Miranda, who was born in traditionally Catholic Costa Rica, said he began to learn about Orthodoxy in the early 2000s. He added that at first he knew almost nothing about the faith, but later studied it and was accepted into the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 2005. He subsequently became a priest and spent many years involved in missionary and social work across Central American countries.

Miranda said his parish in Costa Rica currently has about 50 people attending Sunday services. He estimates that roughly 60–70% of the worshippers are locals who have converted to Orthodoxy. He noted that many are young professionals—lawyers, engineers, architects, physicists, and mathematicians—reflecting a growing appeal among educated groups.

“Orthodoxy in Costa Rica today is becoming increasingly visible,” Miranda said. Based on his assessment, there are only a few hundred Orthodox believers in the country.

The priest believes Orthodoxy has significant potential in Latin America. He said that while local people retain strong interest in religion, the Church must present the Orthodox tradition in an accessible way—without demanding that converts abandon their national cultural identity.

Miranda also spoke about connections between Orthodox Christians in Latin America and the Serbian Orthodox Church. He highlighted the role of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, describing how, in his view, the hierarch helped Orthodox communities in the region feel they were part of a wider Church family.

“If I had to use one word to describe what Metropolitan Amfilohije gave to Latin Americans, I would say—dignity,” Miranda said.

At present, Miranda serves in Costa Rica and participates in developing a Serbian Orthodox mission there. Among the plans is the creation of a church center in a tourist area of the country, including a chapel, residential facilities, and spaces for conferences and summer camps. The project is intended to help make the mission financially sustainable.

Looking ahead, Miranda said Latin America needs more systematic missionary work.

“Latin America calls to be taught and truly evangelized in the Orthodox faith,” he said, stressing that Orthodoxy’s development should proceed while preserving the local language and culture.