Sometimes, it’s all about signs or a lack of them. I had been travelling the Americas, knocking off Greek communities on my list every few days, before I reached a country called Belize. Bigger than Cyprus in size, yet a third of the Cypriot population, Belize sits on the Central American coast with the Caribbean as its backyard. For the first time since January, I no longer had to say, ‘mi nombre es Brad Pitt’, as it’s an English-speaking country.

No one in the Americas believed I was Brad Pitt; “You are too fat, looks like Maradona,” was a regular retort. Soon enough, people knew a Griego called Vasileios was on the loose, looking for Hellenes. In Belize, despite an array of interior designs at hotels or eateries with the meander or Greek salad on the menu, no one knew where Greece was or if any Greeks existed. There are, of course, a tiny number in Belize, thanks to shipping, a harbour and probably the Greek salad.

I was excited that I found something Greek. I scoured the small city for a Greek restaurant or speaker during the election campaign season. My Greek-flagged t-shirts were not working until I was told to try my luck with the Church. It should be easy to find. “Vasileios Brad Pitt Maradona, try the Greek Orthodox Church!” I was told by someone who would neither confirm nor deny his nationality.

Of all the places in the world, a Greek Church in Belize! Saint Demetrios Church is about two to three hours into the interior of a small town called Ontario Village. Father and his beautiful family (all have Greek names), including one Greek-born son, serve the community and help bring a pocket of Greek Orthodoxy and Greece to this part of the world. Father is also of Honduras heritage and spent several years in Greece training to become a priest; he speaks Greek fluently.

I usually stay as close to the water or a pool as possible. This time, I’m sure God thought it was time I went inland, somewhere. I rented a run-down bike, thinking the Church would be close to the city.

It turned out to be an almost three-hour ride to the interior of Belize. Admittedly, I do stop a lot to chat. I took in the farmland, rivers, remote eateries, small villages, nature and blue skies; it felt like a Garden of Eden. Aside from busses that seemed like Formula 1 season was upon us, Belize was the break I needed.

When I arrived at Ontario Village, I was lost. Trying to explain to locals that I was looking for a Greek Orthodox Church led to many wrong locations, from a Catholic campus to a secluded little settlement in a valley where a family led by a mechanic tried, in vain, to help this lost soul! He made phone calls. His wife made food. Soon enough, I was heading back to the highway, and by chance, a young man was pulling out of a driveway from a house.

He immediately knew why I was there; I worked out he was the Athens-born son of the priest. Alexandros was heading out at the right time as I would have missed the home; as lovely as the dwelling is, it didn’t have the Greek Orthodox signposting that I had been keeping an eye out for. I would have seen a Belize flag on a flag post if I had used both eyes. So, my first Greek rendezvous in Belize was undoubtedly the most helpful, as I am sure I would still be riding up and down the highway pretending to be Mad Max!

I pulled up around the back and was met by Father Emmanuel Bardalez, a kind man; we chatted before making our way to the part of the house he built as the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.

Father Bardalez speaks Greek and is proud of his association with Greece, having studied there in 1998 and attaining ordination as a Deacon by 2001. He also spent six months at a monastery in Evia.

As a child, he was a Roman Catholic and spent time at a monastery. Father let the Holy Spirit guide him; this and the support of former Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico led him on a path to Greek Orthodoxy and Belize to become the only Greek Orthodox priest in the country.

St Demetrios celebrates Divine Liturgy every Sunday. Most of the service is in English, though parts such as the Vespers are in Greek. Father explained, “You don’t have to be Greek Orthodox to attend; we are open and welcoming to anyone. People can come and pray at other times, not just on a Sunday.” The week leading into Easter has daily services.

Father is unusual for a priest; he works full time, has a small company and employs locals to work for him. At the Church, he is supported by his wife and children, who have Greek names such as Constantine and Stavros. He has three boys and one girl. The family is supported by a Guyanese man, Russians, and locals, making it a truly multicultural mix. Father tells me, “It is our pleasure to serve the Greek Orthodox faith.”

Despite the fantastic work undertaken by the Bardalez family, there have been stumbling blocks. The Church was once granted a 9.9-acre plot of land in Belmont. Still, a change of government in the mid-2000s meant land ownership remained in diplomatic limbo. Let’s hope this is resolved to help the Church and the community.

Whether it was God who led me to Belize or the need to speak English and have a Greek salad, I was glad I visited. The faith and dedication of Father and his family is what it means to be Greek and Greek Orthodox in our Diaspora.

Belize Greek Orthodox Church video

*Billy Cotsis is the author of The Aegean Seven Take Back The Stolen Marbles, Amazon.