Guatemala
Origin
The mission in Guatemala was founded in 1998 by Metropolitan Demetrius of America. A small parish dedicated to Saint Xenia of Saint Petersburg was founded in Guatemala City. In 2015 a piece of property was purchased in Santa Cruz Naranjo, and a monastery dedicated to Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch was established there. In 2019, Bishop Maximus of Pelagonia was Consecrated to the Episcopate and given responsibility for the missions in Latin America; His Grace then moved to Guatemala to oversee the Hermitage of Saint Ignatius. Several acres of coffee plantation land came with the purchase of the property for the hermitage. The monks took on the task of taming and revitalizing the land and producing coffee to support the hermitage.
The monks of the Hermitage of Saint Ignatius have labored tirelessly to improve coffee cultivation and sell the beans internationally. Within the past few years, the plantation has grown and improved considerably. Thanks to the thorough research and hard work of the monks and local laborers, bean quality continues to improve. Within the past few years, many developments have been at the hermitage. These include the completion of the interior of the Church– including a new Templon, a finished ceiling, a full floor, and Icons–, continued work on other buildings on the property, and the installation of Starlink Internet which allows Bishop Maximus to teach at Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary remotely from Guatemala. The hermitage now has three monks, as well as a nun who is attached to the hermitage, and the parish of Saint Xenia continues to grow.
