A parish in Whitney Pier, N.S., is making history by welcoming its first-ever female priest.

Reverend Mother Phyllis Marsh is the first woman in Nova Scotia to be ordained in the African Orthodox Church.

She says she feels right at home in her new role.

"It's surreal,” said Marsh. “For years, I wanted a ministry, but I didn't realize that God's plan was for me to become a priest here."

Marsh gets a ringing endorsement from Vince Waterman, the new world leader of the African Orthodox Church.

"She's progressive,” he said. “Yes, that's the word. Progressive.

Patriarch Vincent the First, formerly known as archbishop Vincent Waterman, has been priest at the St. Phillip’s Church for more than 30 years.

Marsh knows she has big shoes to fill, but is confident she will help grow the church by reaching out to the youth in the community.

"In order to connect with (youth), we have to let them know we're open to them. They're different. They have different ideas," said Marsh.

The new priest is already popular with parishioners, the majority of whom are women.

"She's eager to learn,” said parishioner Cheryl Butler-Berkeley. “She's willing to share. She has a beautiful heart, and I think it's just what the community needs."

"She's a very outreaching person, said parishioner Isabel Waterman. “She goes out into communities. She goes out and visits the sick. She's going to be an asset to the patriarch.” 

Waterman say having a female priest at the Nova Scotia church has been long overdue.

"Too long have we placed women in the corner,” he said. “Let them come out and show what they can do.”

The African Orthodox Church’s world leader says many other religions could benefit from allowing women to be ordained.

Waterman feels their survival depends on it.

"I think the time has come where if you don't have women in the church as priests and in the congregation, you're going to die,” he said. “Let's give women an equal chance in the ministry, because they're born ministers."

For her part, Mother Marsh says communication among different religions is key.

"I think that we learn from each other,” she said. “I think that we always have to share what we're doing, and we need to find a way to come together collectively."

Marsh will soon enact her first change as St. Philip's new priest, opening the church on Wednesday evenings.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.