“Orthodoxy comes from the south…” says the verse of a well-known song. In this story, Orthodoxy is spreading in the opposite direction. Father Dušan Erdelj, together with his parishioners, is planning to build the first Orthodox church in the heart of Andalusia, in the Costa del Sol region.
This would also be the first sacred site of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Spanish territory.
Father Dušan (43), originally from Bečej, completed the Seminary in Kragujevac and the Theological Institute in Belgrade. After five years of service in the Eparchy of Braničevo, God’s plan took him to the Netherlands, where he served for a full 16 years.
“I managed to establish many new communities there, and last year, with the blessing of Bishop Justin, I moved to Spain, where we founded two new communities — one in the town of Amsterdam on the Costa del Sol, and one in Valencia,” he told Serbian Times.
He adds that he had been coming to Spain for years and thinking about establishing an Orthodox church there someday. And his wish has come true…
“Instead of one, we have two parishes in places where our church has never existed. Although few Serbs live here, they showed incredible energy and willingness to help, so it was a pleasure to lead them on this path. It all began two years ago, and today we have a space where we pray and serve…”
In his parish there are those who live permanently in Spain, as well as Serbs from all over the world who own houses and residences here, where they spend parts of the year.
“In our parish, whose center is in the town of Fuengirola, many athletes also live, and one of the most prominent families is the Gudelj family, which regularly participates in parish life. It is the family of our national team footballer Nebojša Gudelj, who has since been joined by his wife Anastasija, daughter of the famous singer Svetlana Ceca Ražnatović.”
About 200 Serbs live in the Costa del Sol area, and as Father Dušan emphasizes, alongside regular liturgical life, they organize additional activities to help the parish survive.
“It is not easy to maintain ourselves here, but we are trying to welcome everyone and make sure that our church feels like home to all. We also plan to establish a small Serbian language school and folklore classes for the youngest.”
But the greatest plan ahead of the priest and his faithful is without doubt the construction of a church dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
“Costa del Sol is a very popular tourist region, and it would be wonderful to build a church that will represent a part of our homeland in this beautiful region of Andalusia. To achieve this goal and raise the necessary funds, on February 8, 2026, we plan to organize our first humanitarian St. Sava Ball, attended by the royal family Karađorđević, as well as many prominent Serbs from Europe and around the world. Of course, everyone who wishes to be part of this celebration is welcome,” Father Dušan says from Spanish Andalusia.
And we wish him, together with his parishioners, to fulfill his dreams and build a beautiful church so that Orthodoxy may shine in all its glory in the south of Europe.
He officiated the wedding of Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević
Father Dušan officiated the wedding of Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević and Princess Vesna in September this year, with the church ceremony held in the town of Villamanrique de la Condesa near Seville in Spain.
PRINCELY WEDDING: All Karađorđević family members gathered
“I had the honor, with the blessing of Bishop Justin and together with Bishop Petar of Toplica, to marry the newlyweds. The wedding was held in a Catholic church but with full respect for all Orthodox customs and canons. All members of the royal family attended, and it was truly an event I will remember for the rest of my life,” says Father Dušan.
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