As Christmas approaches, the Holy Trinity Parish in Medellin (Archdiocese for Colombia of the Buenos Aires, South and Central American Diocese) organized an event titled “Christmas with Children” on December 19, 2024, the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. On this occasion, the parish distributed Christmas presents to underprivileged children as part of the festive programme.
The Holy Trinity Parish was established with the blessing of Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radović) in 2014 in the city of Medellin as the centre of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s mission in Colombia. From its inception, the parish has been led by Hieromonk Simeon (Lopez), a native of Colombia. The parish consists of Colombian converts to Orthodoxy, and all its liturgical services are conducted in their native Spanish language.
The Holy Trinity Parish is also home to the foundation Colombia Digna (Dignified Colombia), which stands out for its efforts in raising funds for the pastoral and social activities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Colombia.
Every year, the foundation selects a neighborhood in the vicinity of Medellin, with residents of modest means and distributes Christmas gifts to their children. Although the Orthodox Church in Colombia is small in number and still largely unknown, it demonstrates significant care and concern for the Colombian society, especially for its youngest members. In this way, this small Orthodox community bears witness to its faith, combining liturgical prayers for the world with acts of charity for those in need.
This year, the selected neighborhood was Villanueva, part of the Yolombo municipality. Accompanied by forty Orthodox believers, Father Simeon visited the area and distributed Christmas presents to about 450 children. The children and their parents spent the festive day playing and singing, and a communal lunch was organized for all the attendees.
Father Simeon preached to the gathered children and their parents about the significance of Christmas and the role of the Most Holy Theotokos in the salvation of humanity, in keeping with the Orthodox Church teachings. In Colombia, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, the number of Protestant communities has been steadily growing in recent decades, making the voice and witness of the Orthodox Church among Colombians all the more vital.
At the end of the celebration, Hieromonk Simeon expressed his gratitude to all attendees and extended special thanks to the benefactors supporting the Colombia Digna foundation, whose contributions enable such activities, and support the mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Colombia.
Priest Marjan Aleksić
Photos: Priest Marjan Aleksić
