Trip to Brazil
January 2007

The airport in Goiania from our seat in the plane.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - renouncing the devil.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - pouring holy oil in the water.

The Baptism of Peter.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - Peter being Chrismated.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - Lucy being Chrismated.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - Circuiting the Fount three times.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - Holding Crosses.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - The First Offering of Peter.

The Baptism of Peter and Lucy - The First Offering of Lucy.

From left to right: Lucy, Peter, Peter's mother (Maria), and Paul.

The Baptism of Paul.

The Baptism of Paul - Chrismation.

The Baptism of Paul - Circuiting the Fount.

The Baptism of Paul - Reading a prayer over him.

Peter, Archbishop Gregory, and Paul.

The Wedding of Peter and Lucy - The Common Cup.

The Wedding of Peter and Lucy - Circuiting the Table.

The Wedding of Peter and Lucy - Circuiting the Table.

Making Peter a Subdeacon.

Making Peter a Subdeacon.

Ordaining Subdeacon Peter a Deacon.

Ordaining Subdeacon Peter a Deacon.

Axios to the Deacon Peter - Receiving his Holy Cuffs.

Axios to the Deacon Peter.

The Great Blessing of Waters.

Ordaining Deacon Peter to the Priesthood.

Ordaining Deacon Peter to the Priesthood - Kissing the Bishop's Epigonation.

Axios to Father Peter - Receiving his Holy Phelonion.

Axios to Father Peter - Receiving his Pectoral Cross.

Axios to Father Peter - Receiving his Service Book.

Axios to the new Priest Peter.

During the Creed of the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter, Archbishop Gregory, and Hieromonk Peter.

Father Peter.

Vladika blessing Father Peter's land.

A group photograph on the site of the future church building.

Father Peter.

Father Peter and Matushka Lucy.

Making Paul a Reader.

Making Paul a Reader.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Father Peter serving the Divine Liturgy.

Goiania from the air as we departed.

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On Tuesday, January 16th, 2007, Archbishop Gregory and I (Hieromonk Peter) left Dormition Skete on our first journey to Brazil. We left the monastery early in the morning, and drove to the airport in Denver. From there, we flew to Washington DC, and then on to San Paulo, Brazil. After a short layover in San Paulo, we flew north to the city of Goiania, which is the capital of the state of Goias. Goiania is about 150 miles southwest of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Brazil, like the United States, is made up of many independently governed States. There are 27 States in Brazil.

We arrived in Goiania Wednesday afternoon, and were greeted by Pedro and Lucia Anacleto, our translator, Erica, and her boss, Denise. We spent the remainder of the day at Pedro and Lucia’s house, getting acquainted and resting up from the trip. Lucia is approximately seven months pregnant with their first child.

The following day, we had two Baptisms. Archbishop Gregory baptized Pedro and Lucia at their home in a small swimming pool purchased specifically for this task by Pedro one week earlier. We then performed a Divine Liturgy, with myself serving.  

Later that day we went to meet another man, a parishioner who needed to be baptized. We arranged for him to come to Pedro and Lucia’s house that evening and he was baptized with the name of Paul.

Friday morning, which was the Feast of Theophany, Archbishop Gregory performed the Marriage Service for Pedro and Lucia. We followed that with a hierarchal Divine Liturgy. During this Liturgy, Pedro was ordained to the holy diaconate by Archbishop Gregory. Friday afternoon, we performed the Great Blessing of Waters.

Saturday morning we celebrated the hierarchal Divine Liturgy, in which Archbishop Gregory ordained Fr. Deacon Pedro to the holy Priesthood.

Sunday, Padre Pedro’s training began in full force. He served every day for the remainder of our time in Brazil, with Archbishop Gregory instructing him in the proper way to serve the Divine Liturgy. This was quite difficult, especially since the service books Padre Pedro has been using are incomplete, and also contain many errors. But by the Grace of God, Padre Pedro speaks some English, which greatly helped the situation. He is in the process of correcting his service books now.

Sunday morning Archbishop Gregory also tonsured Paul a reader for the new Church of Saints Peter and Paul. After the Divine Liturgy, we all went to the apartment where Reader Paul lives with his parents, and enjoyed a very nice meal with them.

Sunday afternoon, Padre Pedro, Matushka Lucia, Reader Paul, Archbishop Gregory, our translator Erica, and myself departed Goiania in two cars to drive into the country about an hour or so from the city to view a parcel of land that Padre Pedro and Matushka Lucia had purchased to build a house and a church on. It is a beautiful parcel of land, and has both water and electricity available. Archbishop Gregory blessed the land, and we all pray that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, everything will work out well for them, and for the Church.

As I said before, each day for the remainder of the time we were there, Padre Pedro served the Divine Liturgy. The rest of the days were occupied with additional training of Padre Pedro. We also blessed Padre Pedro and Matushka Lucia’s house, Reader Paul’s apartment, Padre Pedro’s mother’s business, father’s business, and their house as well. We also met Matushka Lucia’s mother and grandmother, who also live in Goiania.

Monday evening we all were invited to the home of the parents of our translator, Erica, for dinner, where she lives with her father and mother, and one of her two sisters. Erica, apparently, had relayed to her parents the experience she had in translating for Archbishop Gregory, and all she learned about true Christianity. Her family was fascinated and desired to see us all, and so they invited us for dinner. It was quite a pleasant evening. We were treated with gracious hospitality and unique and delicious foods that exist only in this wonderful country.  

All throughout this trip, Padre Pedro and Matushka Lucia treated us to many exotic fruits and other foods unique to Brazil. Padre Pedro’s mother owns a business that is something like an ice cream parlor, except she has other foods besides ice cream – such as a frozen fruit dish similar to a sherbert. The fruit it is made of, of course, is unique to Brazil.  

Padre Pedro’s father owns a business where he makes condiments – again unique to Brazil. Padre Pedro and Reader Paul both presently work for him in this business.  

All of the people we met in Brazil were very friendly. While Brazil may be considered a poor country, it was very clean and well maintained. The weather was a bit on the warm side for us, of course, but the country is absolutely beautiful.

Most of all, we thank God that we were vouchsafed to visit there, and to bring true Orthodoxy back to the beautiful country of Brazil. Before 1994, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, when it was confessing the Faith, had a substantial presence in Brazil. May God grant Padre Pedro, Matushka Lucia, and Reader Paul many years, and great success in converting many people to the true Faith.

We departed Brazil on Wednesday evening, January 24th, arriving back at the monastery the following day.  

Glory be to God for all things, great and small.

Amen.