In Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the construction of the first Serbian Orthodox Church in the Caribbean is nearing completion, reports the website of the Serbian Church. Last week, Bishop Cyril of South and Central America blessed the bell tower built next to the church. Archimandrite Eustathius, who is responsible for the church's construction, and Father Simeon Lopez from the Serbian Orthodox Church in Colombia, participated in the blessing.

On the day of the blessing, the church bells, donated by the Miranovic families from Podgorica, and the Trajkovski and Stefanov families from Skopje, rang for the first time. During the liturgy, Bishop Cyril also received a local resident, Varvara Konatar from Venezuela, into the Orthodox faith through the sacrament of Chrismation.

The church was built in three years with the financial support of local believers. The project was blessed by Metropolitan Amfilohije, and after his passing, by Bishop Cyril. It is expected that the church will be fully completed by Easter 2025.

The church in Punta Cana is a replica of the Gračanica Monastery, a 14th-century landmark and one of the most significant shrines of the Serbian Church. Gračanica has served as a model for many Serbian churches worldwide. The design of the Punta Cana church was created by architects Pedja and Savo Ristić, who also designed the Herzegovinian Gračanica in Trebinje. Archimandrite Eustathius, who leads the construction, noted that the Punta Cana church will not only serve as a spiritual center but also as an example of Orthodox architecture, uniting Orthodox peoples: Serbs, Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians, Greeks, and Bulgarians.