The Falling Asleep of Fr. Andres Giron of Guatemala – May His Memory Be Eternal!
by Alex Goodwin (Posted 2/18/2014)
Fr. Andres Giron (right) with OCMC Missionary Fr. John Chakos (left) and the 2013 OCMC Mission Team mission team that help build a theological school in Nueva Concepcion – one of many projects spearheaded by Fr. Andres as an effort to continue to bring thousands of Mayan people into the Church. Fr. Andres fell asleep in the Lord on the morning of Sunday, February 16, 2014.
On the morning of Sunday, February 16, 2014, two days after his 67th birthday, Fr. Andres Giron, a pioneering leader of the Guatemalan Orthodox Church, fell asleep in the Lord following a long battle with diabetes. Sadly, he was unable to overcome the serious infection that had developed after numerous surgeries to prolong his life.
Fr. Andres dedicated his life to seeking justice and finding a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Mayan people in Guatemala, an endeavor that led them to the waiting arms of the Orthodox Church under the omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan ATHENAGORAS of Mexico, Metropolitan of Mexico and Exarch of Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Islands of the Caribbean.
We pray that his work will continue through the Guatemalan clergy and catechists that he helped raise up and through the missionaries from the United States that he helped welcome. Please pray for the departed soul of Fr. Andres and for the many spiritual children that he leaves behind. Pray for the Orthodox Church in Guatemala and Her leaders, that they may continue the spiritual journey that he helped to inspire. May his memory, and legacy among the Mayan people of Guatemala, be eternal!
Fr. Andres’ funeral will be on Wednesday, February 19th, 2014, in Nueva Concepcion at the school, and he will be buried near the chapel on the church compound.
Source: http://ocmc.org