It was a great joy for St. Juvenaly Mission to host His Grace, Bishop BENJAMIN, from Saturday, September 6th through Tuesday, September 9th. We greeted him at the door of the church with bouquets of tropical flowers from our yards as well as fresh baked bread and salt, following an ancient tradition of hospitality.

After Vespers, His Grace told us that it was a blessing to finally be in our midst. As the furthest outpost of the Diocese of the West, he brags about us — but he also worries over us. He said that he is pleased to see that we are growing and that we are now have a resident priest and his family.

After Monday’s liturgy (for the Nativity of the Theotokos), the parish hosted a barbecue reception for His Grace at Fr. John and Mat. Jenny’s current dwelling. There, we we had a chance to visit with him more casually. We loved having our gracious bishop in town and look forward his next visit.