Orthodox Mission #28

orthodox mission

Founded in 1963 Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria April-June 2019 / Issue #28

Editor: Nostis Psarras

Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius

In this issue 03 04 10 12 15 17 21 26 27 28 32 36 27 40 44 47

Patriarchal wishes The Patriarch in Tanzania Pacific Islands Haiti Indonesia Kenya - Nairobi Ghana Congo (DRC) - Kinshasa Congo (DRC) - Katanga Uganda - Gulu Madagascar - Toliara Malawi Glory to God for all things Bossom of our orphanage Fr. C. Papasarantopoulos A Fragrant Flower

You can give your love for the Orthodox Missions abroad via Paypal at paypal@ierapostoles.gr, by check or by deposit in our bank account:

ALPHA BANK • ΙΒΑΝ: GR93 0140 4050 4050 0200 2000 170 • BIC: CRBAGRAA Other bank accounts: omf.gr/ways-give/ An ofiicial receipt for your donation will be issued and mailed to you.

Authors are responsible for their own articles.

Owner:

Orthodox Missionary Fraternity 6, Mackenzie King st., Hagia Sophia sq.

546 22 Thessaloniki, Greece 2310 279910, fax. 2310 279902

https://orthodoxmission.org.gr communications @orthodoxmission.org.gr Registered Charitable Association Spiritual founder:  Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos (1903-1972) Founding president:  Pantelis Bayas Great Benefactor:  Panagiotis Papademetracopoulos Honorary president: Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and all Africa

Board of Directors Charalampos Metallidis President Nostis Psarras Vice president Angeliki Arnaouti Secretary General Dimitrios Sotirkos Τreasurer Constantinos Metallidis Secretary Asst Zenobios Iatrou Treasurer Asst Evangelia Traikoudi Member Aikaterini Alexandrou Member

Prodromos Kalaitzidis Member

License

Distributed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license.

Similarly licensed works of the following authors were used in the respective pages:

12 Get Jesus Today 17 Peter Steward 21 Carsten ten Brink 28 Luz D. Montero Espuela 32 Txus Pérez 46 Hajo Schatz

Dear Mr. President and Honorable Board Members as well as all Members of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, beloved children of our Mediocrity, the Mercy and Peace of the All Benevolent God be with you.

We hereby wish to express our paternal wishes and deep gratitude to the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity for its continued help and support to the Holy Center of Orthodoxy in Africa. Your Fraternity has conduced to the enhancement of education of indigent and orphaned children, the construction and operation of churches, the implementation of food programs, the establishment of health clinics, the drilling of water-wells and many other missionary activities in Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Congo, Nairobi, Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Burundi-Rwanda, Uganda, and other places in Africa.

The support of this missionary work is paramount for the future of the African children, particularly the orphans, whose parents died of the deadly Ebola virus and the scourge of AIDS. We therefore thank you most sincerely for your assistance and overall support and fervently pray that the Almighty God of love keeps you healthy and strong for the realization of your noble missionary activities.

In the Great City of Alexandria, March 16, 2019

TANZANIA - Arusha

How Beautiful Are the Feet of Them That Preach the Gospel of Peace!

Your Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch of the Ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II, it is with great pleasure, honor and respect that we welcome you, our Father and Patriarch, carrier and leader of the earliest Christian Church in the land of Africa, the Orthodox Church, whose founder is the Apostle and Evangelist Mark and which dates back to 60 AD. However, Venerable Father, the value of the Orthodox Church is estimated not only by its antiquity but also by its ability as the true Body of Christ to take flesh at every moment

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of human history, in every place and every language, for every human being who is thirsty to know the sacred truth, the Savior Jesus Christ.

You came near us, our Father, the Patriarch of Love, the experienced Missionary, in order to strengthen us, to give us your blessing, to advise us on our course of life, to share with us your love that overflows in every direction, to wipe out the tears of the orphaned children of Africa, to give us a little light from the light of your face, for this is what you do. You do not exercise your authority from the comfort of your

own office, but you are always on the move, like the thirteenth of the Apostles, running throughout Africa to bring joy, peace, love, courage, to open schools, build health clinics, establish churches and preach the word of the Gospel, which becomes bread for the hungry, water for the thirsty, an open embrace for the desperate and tired modern man.

Your Beatitude, when, I came to Tanzania 15 years ago, a Roman Catholic Abbess welcomed me telling me that in this country there was peace! Indeed, Holy Father, after so many years of humble ministry here, I can assure you that the people of Tanzania are very peaceful, perhaps the most peaceful of Africa, living in a land where everyone with love and respect can worship the God they believe in, without

fanaticism or bigotry, without conflicts or hatred; for making wars in the name of God and religion is the most absurd thing to do on earth!

As our beloved Saint St. Nektarios of Pentapolis says, «meekness, religious tolerance and purity of manners, are the qualities possessed by the true Christian.»

So, please, Holy Father, allow me, besides Your Beatitude, to thank wholeheartedly all those who came with us today to welcome you, honor with their presence our Distinguished Visitor, and affirm once again that wherever there is unity and peace, there is love, which is our God, the God we worship. Venerable Pope and Patriarch, may the Lord give you many blessed and joyous years! Amen! † Agathonikos of Arusha

Laying the foundation stone of the Fraternity-funded Saint Luke church

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Patriarch Theodore baptizing

The Patriarch of Alexandria in Central Tanzania From 15 to 22 May 2019, we had the great joy and blessing of being visited by His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, in our Missionary Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania, particularly in Iringa Region, which is situated on a huge plateau at an altitude of 2,000 m. It is the second visit of our Patriarch to this area since 2007. A great reception was reserved for the Venerable Spiritual Father by crowds of faithful from the surrounding areas at the Diocesan Mission Center in Kidamali, Iringa.

On Thursday, May 16th, His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, visited the Nambanga Region in the southern part of the country near the border with Zambia, where he performed the consecration of the Church dedicated to Sts. Paisios of Mt. Athos and Luke the Physician in Massage village, and conducted the blessing service for the new borehole of the area. Both projects are being funded by donors of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity.

The next day, May 17th, His Beatitude along with his entourage went to Ingagidungu village, in the highlands of the hinterland of central Tanzania, in a permanently wonderful setting, where the beauty of nature meets with the peaceful and industrious natives. There, he performed the sanctification service for the blessing of the gates of the Church of the Transfiguration and St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia, which was funded by donors of your Fraternity.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Alexandrian Primate went to Ipoasi, the primitive village of the Maasai, which is purely Orthodox, and in which the whole of the village welcomed him with local dances and songs.

Here His Beatitude blessed the borehole that our Church drilled in the center of the village. Fortunately, its water meets the needs of these poor people, who live in a particularly harsh environment, depended entirely on their livestock. It is one of the few areas of our planet that remains unaffected by the so called ÂŤcultural progressÂť, and where one can indeed admire and enjoy the uniqueness of nature and the innocence and purity of these people.

On Saturday, May 18th, our Patriarch, accompanied by Their Graces Bishops Sylvester of Gulu and Fotios of Malawi, performed mass baptisms of

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350 natives at Kindamali Mission Center. Immediately following the touching rite of baptism, His Beatitude held an assembly of the Diocesan Clergy, addressing admonitions and counsels and encouraging the clerics to continue their priestly ministry with enthusiasm.

On the Sunday of the Paralytic, May 19th, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa celebrated the Matins service and presided over the Divine Liturgy, at the Church of Our Lady of Kykkos and St. George in Kindamali, with the support of Their Graces Gulu, Malawi and Arusha. During the D.L., he ordained to the order of Deacon Mr. Anastasios Kiyonga, a 32-yearold married man and a father of two, graduate of the Nairobi Theological Seminary and of the Tabora School of Philosophy. Prior to the dismissal, His Beatitude awarded the office of Archimandrite to Priestmonk Marco Rutakiamirwa, graduate of the Dodoma University School of Philosophy and specialized in Linguistics. Both clerics are members of the Translation Group of Arusha Diocese.

After the dismissal, all those present in a solemn procession headed by His Beatitude and accompanied by all the local officials and rulers of Iringa Region, went to the forecourt of the adjoining «St. Nicholas» Clinic, where its inauguration ceremony took place. This clinic is a donation of the Holy Metropolis of Nea Krini and Kalamaria.

On Monday May 20th, His Beatitude visited Imbogo village, where he consecrated the Church of St. John the Theologian and conducted the blessing service of the adjacent borehole, both projects which adorn the region and were funded by donors of your fraternity.

I would like to express my brotherly love and wholehearted gratitude to your Board President Mr. Charalambos Metallides, to Mr. Nostis Psarras, as well as to all the members of your Fraternity for your fervent support to my humble ministry in the Diocese of Arusha, because for us you are great benefactors. May the Good Lord bless you all.

With love in Christ † Agathonikos of Arusha 8

TANZANIA - Dar Es Salaam

Fr. Nicodemus Sarikas Mission Center By the grace of God and with the wishes of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II, His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrius of Irinoupolis begins the construction of another Mission Center, the third in Tanzania after Iringa in Central Tanzania and Morogoro in Eastern Tanzania.

At the large site of the Holy Metropolis of Irinoupolis, on the main street of the capital city Dar es Salaam where the historic Metropolitan Church of Agia Paraskevi is located, large crowds of people among whom native priests, members of the Greek Community, readers and many Greek and indigenous believers and catechumens, started arriving since early Thursday morning, in order to welcome their Patriarch.

After the end of the consecra-

tion and foundation services, Patriarch Theodore referred to the first Missionary of Tanzania, Archimandrite Nicodemus Sarikas, who catechized and baptized the first indigenous Orthodox Tanzanians almost 80 years ago!

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in this joyful resurrection period we would like to invite you to pray, as you have been doing for 27 years now, for every missionary effort of His Eminence Demetrius, but at the same time we would like to request something, which you have also been doing for so many years: to stand by him in this new effort for the creation of the first Mission Center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which will cost around â‚Ź25,000.

From the Holy Diocese 9

ΙΕΡΑ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΗ ΝΕΑΣ ΖΗΛΑΝΔΙΑΣ & ΩΚΕΑΝΙΑΣ

Ο Χριστός στην Ωκεανία Dear Friends of Mission, In all the places I visit during my inspection tour, I am astonished by the fruits of the labour of my predecessor, currently His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of Ganos and Chora.

As I understand, the contribution of your magazine was significant. The love offerings of your readers gave a lot of support to Elder Amphilochios’s missionary vision and became the necessary means for its realization. We thank you wholeheartedly and pray that the Most Merciful God and Giver of all good gifts will continue to give you His abundant blessings and the awareness of His Truth, so that through you as well His presence on 10

earth will spread and grow.

On Saturday, January 26, 2019, the baptism of the first Maori family took place in Raglan, Hamilton, New Zealand. Peter, Maria and their 4 children joined the Church after a long catechism by our good priest fr. Georgios Kanellis. Please, pray for their stability and progress.

In the Kingdom of Tonga, where the majestic St. George’s Church is being erected, two Greek technicians came for 4 months (from February 2018 to June 2018), and with the help of the local people, the building work progressed effectively. About 70% of the church’s coatings, including the dome, were completed. Since then, as a result of weather conditions, mainly main-

tenance work has been carried out.

Our plan is to visit the island in the early days of March to have a better understanding of the conditions there, and at the same time, we are in contact with the technicians in order to plan the future course of the construction work of this project.

From April 4 till April 10, I visited Tonga along with Fr. Meletios and Fr. Pauul, in order to file some paperwork for the legal incorporation and representation of the Orthodox Church in the country.

We met with almost all Orthodox baptized and catechumens, we coducted the fourth service of the Salutations to the Theotokos and the Divine Liturgy of the fourth Sunday of the Great Lent.

Most usually, the locals have a rather portly physique, with brown skin, a big smile on their faces and honest heart. They are benevolent and positive. We encountered many locals, still there was no one who said anything negative or expressed any objections. They are always good-spirited and willing to help.

They seem to be very interested in the spiritual life, capable of understanding high notions and ready to ask vital spiritual questions.

The condition of Saint George Church is shown in the picture below. 100,000 more euros are neededed, so that Orthodox Tongas can acquire their own church.

Praying and loving in Christ. †Myron of New Zealand

Saint George Orthodox church in Tonga

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HAITI

The Haitian Mission Dear Friends of Mission, We hereby express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your keen interest in our missionary work.

Your recent donation to our Church for the Orthodox ministry which we do here in Haiti was really valuable.

Your assistance greatly enhances our missionary work in Haiti and is definitely imperative to our existence in my home country, since after the Duvalier regime, its long-lasting economic and socio-political crisis has had a serious impact on all the fields of national life. A large number of agricultural products are not cultivated for the population, thus resulting in the economic disorientation of the country, the control of the market from foreign products at 12

the expense of our scanty local production, the occasional loss in value of our national currency which almost led to its replacement by the US dollar, the migration of peasants to the capital in search of a better life, the environment is deforested, either for arbitrary building or for charcoal production for domestic cooking, corruption spreads through all social strata, drugs kill our youth, while violence in our neighborhoods and young people’s immorality are skyrocketing.

My brethren, I have mentioned all this so that you can also get an idea of how important the presence of our Mission in Haiti is, both spiritually and socially. Here, in this corner of our humble Holy Metrop-

olis, His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico and Central America has been covering for many years all the expenses of our elementary school in the parish of St. John the Baptist in Petion Ville, a school which provides not only education but also hope to hundreds of poor children.

Our work is not easy, but by the Grace of God we have a great Spiritual Shepherd, who is always by our side. We love and respect him and we are grateful that on his initiative and with his blessing before he ordained me, he brought me straight into your hands in Greece, where

I received theological education.

There, I had another blessing: to be under the paternal presence of His Grace Archbishop Eugene of Crete, who, since then, has been immensely supportive to the Mission and to my unworthiness, and to whom I am deeply grateful. I thank God for all His great blessings, particularly for making me “a fisher of men�, like the Apostles, to convey the Orthodox Faith and the message of the gospel to the people of my native country Haiti, which is in great need.

By His Grace in our Parish of Sts. George and Nectarios in Pelerin, my native village, we are con-

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tinuing for the second year with a catechetical project with my home as its base, where gather some people who are slowly converting to Orthodoxy. In addition to that, we have already made the necessary preparations for the construction of an orphanage, and with God’s help, we will take a public place for the future of this project. God willing, it is estimated that we will receive 24 children at the beginning of the summer. We need to make arrangements for the rooms, the kitchen and the living room for the little children to assemble in order to take care of them in a spiritual

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place. This, of course, will only be realized if God answers our prayers.

Although we are aware of the long- standing crisis in our beloved Greece, we are making an appeal to your kind heart, hoping for your charity and support to our Holy Metropolis and praying that our Lord Jesus Christ blesses your life and your works, gives you strength and courage for every single work that you help with your contribution to the glory of God and of the Holy Orthodoxy.

With humble feelings, Father Paul Petit-Homme Prelatic Commisioner inHaiti

Support our orphans

INDONESIA

New Missionary Overtures Dear friends of Mission, Christ is Risen!

With God’s help we are in good health. I would like to update you on the work of our Orthodox Mission here in distant Indonesia.

From February 25, 2018 to March 1, 2019, I was invited by some communities to visit them as they want to learn about the Orthodox Faith. I stayed there for a few days and had the chance to talk with them. Finally, they decided to embrace our faith, and asked us to visit them regularly to the extent possible. This region consists of some villages and is not difficult to reach due to its access to the national road network. Their capital is called Pakkat. Pakkat is a small

town, largely inhabited by Muslims, Roman-Catholics and Protestants.

People there live mainly by agriculture- they cultivate various types of incense, coffee, rice and corn- and by logging. Life there is quiet and clean. There are forests around, so the air is very clean and oxygen-rich. Also, the big river that flows nearby creates beautiful sounds, which raise our hearts and minds to our Almighty God. Near this river, a family called Mangatur Sibagariang offered us a plot of land to build a church and worship the God of our Orthodox Faith in there.

My brethren, we accepted this offering and we began to choose the Council members to start this Godpleasing project. It is near the river, 15

so the basic building materials such as sand and stones can be obtained from there. From the nearby forests we could get the wood supply we need for doors and window frames.

Naturally, my brethren, we have a big dream: to realize this great project of building a church in this region within the year 2019. The estimated construction cost comes to 30,000 euro. It would be a great relief for us if you could help us.

With God’s help, in our Mission Center in the city of Medan we have Fr. Theodosius Niwen, who I was preparing for the priesthood for years, and who has now become a priest. This enables me to start spreading our missionary activity.

Now in a city in Sumatra called Pekanbaru we have begun to

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establish a new parish community.

This happened a year ago. We have a few faithful there, but we have no proper gathering place, so it would be very good if we could have a permanent home. The members of our community find it difficult to change place constantly from one house to another. So, in my opinion, the best thing to do is to rent a house which will be used for our gatherings, as the Mission office and for my own accommodation when I visit them and I need to stay somewhere for a few days. I asked the people there and I was told that renting a house for 2 years will cost 1,500 euro. I am making an appeal to your kind heart for support on this matter as well.

Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu

KENYA - Nairobi

Theological Education and Training in Africa I read with great interest the article of my dear friend and brother in the field of Overseas Mission Mr. Charalambos Metallides for a plea made by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Kinshasa for financial support to the School of Theology of Congo University.

As we are dealing with exactly the same problems, I also submit my own personal testimony and subscribe to what is said in this article because of my long ministry in the field of theological education on the continent of Africa.

Perhaps in our own field there is a different view according to which some people think that it is

not possible for us here in this vast continent to convey unchanged the theological knowledge of the Eastern Orthodox Church and provide appropriate training. They have the impression that there might not be properly trained Orthodox professors who can convey the authentic and genuine tradition of Orthodoxy.

As for several decades I have been in charge of this theological project of establishing Orthodox academic education and training, I strongly believe that as long as we have seminaries within the African continent, it is better to educate and train future clergymen here. Thus, we are in need of financial support 17

and assistance in order to be able to fulfill this important theological project. We have qualified professors, the premises required with a library, classrooms, dormitories, refectory, offices and above all, a holy church. Naturally, for the proper operation of our seminaries, there are other functional needs as well, such as building maintenance, staff salaries, the students’ daily food - morning, noon and evening, car transportation and maintenance costs, water and electricity bills.

All this and many other things are useful and necessary to enable us

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to give the right theological training and direction to the “laborers of our Gospel�, clergy or lay people, so that we can fully fulfill the destination for which our theological schools were prepared and built with a lot of sacrifices and dedicated labor.

We believe that we have already stressed it, but we are once again saying that it is important that we give our candidates a chance here, in their own place, in their own environment.

The daily schedule is strict and carefully planned and organized on a spiritual basis with morning and

Mealtime at an Orthodox school evening services as well as Compline, Matins and Vespers. Thus, the person to be ordained is already gaining substantial experience which will help him significantly in his clerical ministry as a priest, teacher or catechist.

That is why I am making an earnest appeal to all those who love and support the work of our Church on the continent of Africa to give priority to the field of theological training and education. We urgently need your support and assistance to communicate through proper

theological training the message of the Gospel and Orthodoxy as well as the ethos and beauty of our holy monasteries and the devout reverence of our liturgical services. We struggle to achieve our goal working tirelessly every day so that we can see our future priests receive in their own place education and training, which relies on a strictly cenobitic program, since everything is common - accommodation, courses, classes, holy services, meals and others: a truly spiritual state. †Makarios of Nairobi 19

Cross-Resurrectional Experiences This period every year, here, on the Mission premises, the conduction of the morning and evening sacred services along with the active participation and attendance of the students of our School, creates a solemn atmosphere full of devout reverence, as chanting is rendered in the best way possible in the various local dialects of Africa.

The Salutations to the Virgin Mary, the Compline, the Presanctified Liturgies, particularly the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, all these along with the accompanying hymns, express what is most beautiful and spiritual and thus enrich the atmosphere, conveying exactly those heavenly messages that really touch our souls and arouse strong emotions which carry us to the world of eternity.

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But also the Holy Week, which is dedicated to the Lord’s Passion, with the even more solemn services, was a constant reminder of the extreme humiliation and sacrifice of our Lord, Who underwent so much suffering and so many tortures before He was crucified for us, His sinful, unworthy servants.

Every year on Holy Wednesday, the Holy Unction is performed for both physical and spiritual healing.

Then the blessed oil is transferred to the parishes and homes of our sick and disabled brothers, who need not only special care and regard/consideration, but also moral support. And of course, all these days were dedicated to our little children, who always await our food programs. †Makarios of Nairobi

GHANA

Parcels of love for Ivory Coast The Orthodox Mission in Africa always stands at the forefront. The second-in-hierarchy Patriarchate of Alexandria, wisely led by its steersman, Pope and Patriarch Theodore II, cares primarily for the spiritual ministration but also at the same time for the relief of the poor and the ailing.

Faith is interwoven with deeds.

Whatever we say, any words will be poor to express the struggle and distress for this great work of the Mission that deals with human creatures seeking truth and peacefulness. Let us recall the words of Apostle James, who refers to faith and deeds: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister

is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture 21

was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:14-26).

These words boost and empower all missionaries and the remarkable partners of the Mission to offer valuable time and fill their everyday lives with love, alleviating the penury of those in need. And they don’t do so, in order to collect any returns in this life, but in order

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for them to hear a good word in the day of Lord, when he will ask for a report of our faith and our works.

The container with muchneeded goods, which was shipped by the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and blessed by His Beatitude the Patriarch himself who attended and participated in its loading during his stay in Thessaloniki, the homeland of saints, finally reached its destination. How many people will be helped during these holy days of Pascha? How many eyes will shine? How many lips will smile?

How many children will taste a candy or a chocolate or will get in their hands a toy just like one of those that our children in the developed West take for granted?

How many tables will be laid with Paschal viands? How many people will look at the sky and give glory to our God? How many people will show their gratitude and bless all those who offered a little or a lot out of their hearts and maybe out of their own scarcity? Indeed, we must be assured that these people who are benefited will never forget.

This benefaction will be inscribed in their hearts, just like God records the names of all benefactors with golden letters in His heavenly book.

We extend our big thanks to everyone who has labored. To the Orthodox Missonary Fraternity that always stands by the Ancient

Patriarchate of Alexandria and its Primate, the angel on earth and guardian of all Africans, Pope and Patriarch Theodore, who always proclaims that the future of humanity lies in the African continent. To the volunteers who participated in the collection of these essential goods and in the loading of the container, to those known and unknown who helped and donated the goods of their love. To all of you, in behalf of the pious flock of the Holy Diocese of Accra, I express a great thank you along with the paschal greeting: “Christ is Risen”.

Your brother † Narkissos of Accra

Distribution of humanitarian aid, sent by our Fraternity

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CONGO (DRC) - Kinshasa

Traveling in the jungle Dear Mission friends, I hope that we all spend the Great Lent in pursuit of the purification of our soul by bringing our Christ closer to us.

Lately I have been facing a big problem. The cars owned by the Metropolis are very old and are constantly breaking down. They have repeatedly failed us on the road due to their extensive usage/use as well as to poor road construction.

I am on the run all day trying to get them fixed and have to spend a lot of money on repair services.

Two weeks ago, I paid $ 4,700 for the repair of the Prado car that I have been using, and five days ago it started having problems again.

It was at the garage for repair and

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was delivered to me today. During the visit of our Patriarch, since all of our cars were damaged, I had to rent two cars, one for me and one for the guests, and we paid 2,244.60 + 1,656 = 3,900.80 dollars.

Today I was informed by His Grace Metropolitan Meletios of Katanga that I could buy a second hand 4x4 Toyota Jeep with 80,000 kilometers, which would be delivered to me for about $ 15,000 within a month’s time. He, himself, made a market research and is going to buy one.

I would like to make an appeal to your loving heart to help us solve the problem by buying a car as soon as possible. I apologize. †Nikiphoros of Kinshasa

CONGO (DRC) - Katanga

Till the ground Dear brothers in Christ, Christ is Risen!

I hereby express my warm thanks to your Fraternity for the kind reaction to our application for the purchase of a 3,500-euros tractor destroyer, which is necessary for the cultivation of the farms of our Holy Apostles monastery. In these farms, we grow several vegetables and trees that are absolutely indispensable for the substistence of our 10-strong brotherhood and for charity to our African brothers.

The destroyer has already been put to use by the brothers of our monastery, who are all of African

descent, and has greatly facilitate our work. We, as a little reward, commemorate all of you so that you are healthy and blessed in your godly work for the holy missions.

We pray that in devout piousness we will pass through the rest of the Great Lent and joyfully celebrate the glorious and lifegiving Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I also convey the gratitude of the fathers, deacons, monks and novices of our holy monastery, as well as their love and paschal wishes.

Fr. Barnabas of Gregoriou

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UGANDA - Gulu

The Current Situation in our New Diocese Dear Friends of Mission, Christ is Risen!

Since my appointment to this Diocese, I have had the chance to organize myself and see the current situation in my province. I hereby wish to inform you about the needs of our newly established Diocese of Gulu and Eastern Uganda .

Our faithful are happy for their New Diocese and their New Bishop.

I still remember their warm reception in my first appearances in several places of our Diocese, in Northern as well as Eastern Uganda, in all the parishes and communities that I have been able to visit so far.

Our Diocese consists of the 2 poorest regions of the country. Eastern Uganda, which is plagued by 28

great poverty and drought, as well as Northern Uganda, which was in a state of war for several years. So far, people are still trying to overcome the devastating consequences of the war. Lives were lost, houses were destroyed, church buildings were demolished.

Little by little, everything is being made from scratch again thanks to people’s love. Most people in these areas are poor, our simple churches are all in need of restoration, renovation or repair, while some others have remained incomplete when construction stopped.

The Diocese consists of 30 priests, 50 catechists, 19 church buildings, 7 of which are already consecrated, 50 communities, 5

medical centers, and 7 schools.

The difficult work of the Diocese is accomplished by few priests, who have been left without any financial support for a long time, which makes our work far more difficult.

At present, I would like to inform you about some of my future plans which are in great need of assistance and support for the continuation of our missionary work.

Need for Assistance for the Basic Operation of the Diocese Our New Diocese, still at an early stage of its establishment and organization, is confronted with serious lack of financial resources, which makes things very difficult and hinders almost any form of

missionary activity. That is why we are bringing you this request for financial assistance and support so as to meet the large number of basic daily needs of the Diocese and the Priests. This could help us a lot as we are still struggling to organize our bishopric.

Need for a Missionary House In our Diocese there is no accommodation facility. Moreover, the lack of office space makes my ministry very difficult. When I first arrived here, I did not have a place to stay. Sometimes I had to stay in a hotel and other times I was hosted. All that until recently, when I rented a house which works both as the Episcopal

Silvestros, the hierarch of the newly-founded diocese of Gulu

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Home and the Diocesan Office.

However, this is a short-term solution. What needs to be done is to make a building on our Mission Center premises. First of all, I think we should construct a building on the premises of our St. Lavrentios Cathedral, which can also be used as a Spiritual Center. This could initially give us a solution to the problem of our accommodation and at the same time be used as our office so that we can stay there and operate the office in this, until we can build a normal Episcopal Home.

Immediate Need for Land Purchase There is an urgent need for the

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purchase of a plot of land bordering the headquarters of our Bishopric in Gulu, so that we can have more space to realize our future plans for the Episcopal Home. It is also imperative that we buy another plot next to the Medical Clinic in Gulu, as it is the only medical facility in the area and should be expanded due to a big increase in daily needs and in the number of patients.

We hope to be able to buy these two plots soon enough because in a month and a half Gulu will be proclaimed a separate and independent municipality in the center of Northern Uganda, which will result in higher land prices.

Start of Rural Labor as a Source of Project Support Because of the great poverty that hinders us in many things, I am thinking of starting an organized agricultural engagement in our areas where we have arable land and we can use it, or even buy land for this purpose. For example, we can cultivate it, or even make farms with livestock. I believe that if we do that, we will have an important production that will help fight hunger, bring revenue for the Bishopric and create jobs for our poor fellow men.

Need For Water Well-Drilling One of the biggest problems of the people in our regions is lack of water, which makes it impossible for them to irrigate their fields, or find water for their livestock. Those unfortunate people can only hope for the rainwater, and when it does

not rain, they have total crop failure. Apart from that, from a general point of view, water is absolutely essential to our people’s survival in every respect.

These are currently the five needs that must be met as soon as possible.

Finally, I would like to thank you all once again for your concern for Mission, through which many people are helped to find the Truth of the Lord, Orthodoxy, as well as material help so that a lot of our very needy brothers can live in a dignified way as children of God. I will be eternally grateful to you if you help us achieve a few, if not all of the above. May you have rich the blessings of God on your lives.

With love in the Lord, †Silvestros of Gulu and Eastern Uganda 31

MADAGASCAR - Toliara

The Orthodox Present in South Madagascar The vigilant concern of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Theodore II for the flock of the African continent led the Holy Synod of the Ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria to the partition of the Metropolis of Madagascar and to the establishment of the Holy Diocese of Toliara and South Madagascar with my unworthiness as its first Bishop.

The paternal concern of His Beatitude allowed me before my consecration and enthronement to visit the vast island of Madagascar so as to meet the local flock and spend with our faithful there the blessed days of the Holy Easter.

With this blessing, on the first of April of the year of the Lord’s salvation 32

2019 I began the long journey from the Monastery of my Repentance to Madagascar. At the airport, there was a group of Mission friends and supporters who were waiting for me with tearful eyes. Their gifts were the basics for a priest: incense, myrrh, and an icon of the Virgin Mary, my «weapons» for the unknown, the baptismal supplies, the little “bridges” that will help more and more brothers fit into the Common Communion Chalice. At the airport of Madagascar I was welcomed by its humble Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius, who, with a kind courtesy, gave a cordial speech at the ceremony for the new Bishop’s reception, which took place in a church under his jurisdiction. His hospitality,

which was extended a lot due to a mechanical problem in the car that would take us to the Diocese of Toliara, was simple and noble at the same time.

With a brotherly embrace and our departure, a long journey on an extremely rough dirt road led us to the normal boundaries of our Diocese. It was a fasting period and the only food we could find was a little avocado with some bread, which did not surprise any of the people we met on/in the street and we shared with them this little food, because people there are in constant fasting due to lack of goods.

Arrival in the city of Fianarantsoa, followed by the Matins Service at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and acquaintance with the small in number but big in heart flock.

There, we experienced early Chris-

tian moments: two nuns, two women who did not come from an Orthodox family, loved Christ so much that they dedicated their own lives to Him, and carried the burden of the entire local community. The Church has always relied on women’s shoulders.

The next morning we set off on our journey visiting the Diocesan School, which numbers over 600 children in classes of 70 pupils. We were welcomed by cheerful faces filled with hope and the light of knowledge. Our promise to them was a one-way road: «we will immediately expand the facilities in order to decongest the classrooms so that more and more children can have access to the good of education.» Screams of joy and applause was their reaction to this difficult, yet necessary, promise.

Nwely-illumined Malagasy children

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From the new bishop of Toliara's first tour The Sunday of St. John of the Ladder finds us before the Holy Altar. My first Divine Liturgy there and my first union with my new family through His Holy Body and Blood.

On the 11th of April 2019, the first Holy Synod takes place in a family-like atmosphere. We convey the paternal blessings of His Beatitude and have an extensive discussion so that the Church can adopt the liturgical needs and habits of South Madagascar. The Assembly was sealed with an epitrachelion (stole), the vestment under which all souls are called to be relieved, courtesy of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. The next few days we are constantly on the move.

The Salutations were chanted in straw churches and on beaches, where, I can assure you, there is so much heavenly blessing! Faces of weary and burdened 34

people whose life is full of problems but who have the joyful certainty that we are conveying them the truth. We cross the vast land of our Diocese using every possible means of transport: car, motorcycles, boats, makeshift boats and pirogues, so that we can make each and every one of our brothers participant in the Mystery of our Church. And it is this most genuinely benevolent intention that makes us partakers of miraculous events, such as the formal invitation we received from a village of several thousand inhabitants to visit them so that they can be catechized and eventually baptized.

Sometimes I ask myself how such things happen, and all I can answer is an incessant praise, “glory be to the Triune God�.

The Holy Week was a great blessing for all of us with tears of

devout reverence and a surge of excitement in the liturgical life. The sacred services were chanted either in the Malakasi language, the local dialect, or in Greek: an actual proof of the universality of Orthodoxy.

With “Christ is Risen�, the period of baptisms began, according to the early Christian tradition. More than four hundred baptisms in seas, rivers and makeshift baptismal fonts are performed. Names of saints throughout the history of Christianity are everywhere in Madagascar at this time as well as names important to me that signify my bond with beloved persons: His Beatitude our Patriarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Eustathios of Monemvasia and Sparta, nuns from

monasteries all over Greece, my spiritual children. An act of inner need to create a family-like atmosphere in a place until recently strange to me.

Along with the baptisms, we visit hospitals and health centers, we are informed about the shortcomings and the existing problems. We provide financial support to those who do not have access to health care, which is not free of charge, and we are constantly experiencing the miracle of people converting to Orthodoxy, as they wonder why we are helping them indiscriminately. Well, the answer is simple: for our Holy Church every single person is an image of God. Glory be to God for all things! †Prodromos of Toliara

Rowing towards an Orthodox village

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MALAWI

School Rooftop

Dear brothers in Christ and partners in the great work of spreading Orthodoxy, I am aware of your interest and love for the newly established Diocese of Malawi and I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for the continued support of your Fraternity in the difficult task that the Alexandrian Church has assigned me.

Since my early days in the third world country of Malawi, I have tried to identify the main needs in terms of the infrastructure of the local Church activities.

I believe that priority should be given to schools, for without these, the natives can neither be trained in the preaching of the Gospel, nor participate ac36

tively in the life of the Church.

Well, my beloved brothers and sisters, I would like to inform you that the elementary and nursery school next to the Church of the Resurrection, a gift of your Love, has a problem in its building installations, due to the continuous heavy rainfall that has recently hit Malawi.

The estimated damage repair cost comes to the amount of 10,000 euro, which is why we are making an earnest appeal to your loving heart and ask for your support so that the school can continue its work smoothly and educate the children close to the Church, to the glory of the Risen Christ. †Fotios of Malawi

«Glory to God for all things»

I believe that these words of St. John Chrysostom are more relevant and appropriate as regards the case of my departure from the New Zealand missionary sites and the Islands of the Southeast Pacific Ocean, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

I found myself in these places obeying the invitation of our Holy Church that was made to me by the mouth of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

By the grace of God and despite my sinfulness, a great work was done without any specific financial resources. The Metropolitan Church of St. Andrew the Apostle was refurbished both internally and externally. Protestant temples were purchased and transformed into Orthodox churches.

The construction of the Greek Orthodox Cemetery chapel in Wellington in the name of St. Lazarus of the Four Days was finally completed. A wonderful representation of “Christ Pantocrator” (i.e. the Almighty or the Lord Omnipotent) was made in the dome of the Annunciation Cathedral. The Holy Monastery of Taxiarches (the Archangels), along with the chapels of Sts. Basil and Amphilochios, both Bishops of Iconium, was built anew.

The churches of St. Andrew in Wellington and of the Holy Trinity in Auckland and Saweni, were inaugurated. This beautiful big church in Fiji along with the orphanage, were made thanks to donations coming from the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity of Thessaloniki. The Mission Center in Sabeto, Nadi, is a remarkable building with a chapel dedicated to St. Paraskevi, donated by the Orthodox “St. John the Theologian” Missionary

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Society of Aspropyrgos. It is in the same place that the first Sacred Baptistery was made and the first Baptisms were performed: that of Fr. Bartholomew Senibulu, who was named after our Venerable Ecumenical Patriarch, and that of his wife Lydia, who took her name in honor of St. Lydia, the first Christian woman in Greece and Europe.

Other Holy Baptisteries were made at Taxiarches Monastery in New Zealand, at the Churches of St.Nicholas in New Plymouth, the Holy Trinity in Saweni, the Sts. Nicholas and Athanasius on the island of Vanua Levu, a project funded by an anonymous sister in Christ from Macedonia, as well as at the Church of St. George on the island of Tonga, where also lies the chapel of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

On the island of Samoa a plot of land has been bought with money from the Missionary Society of Aspropyrgos with the prospect of the construction of a Church in the name of St. John the Theologian, Apostle and Evangelist. In Saweni, Fiji, and near the Holy Trinity Church and the Orphanage, a women’s Monastery was established in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God with the first two Fijian nuns, Melanie and Anyssia.

The Holy Metropolis of New Zealand has also been staffed by good priests, six of whom in New Zealand and five natives in the Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Islands.

Thus, we can gladly say that Orthodoxy has been established in these

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places and will spread even further with the all-worthy from the Great Island of Crete new Metropolitan Myron, who has succeeded my unworthiness.

As for the question of how I left such a nice work and a much-loved flock and returned to my beloved homeland Greece, the answer is twofold: firstly health and age reasons and secondly the fact that the New Zealand Foreign Ministry did not grant me a visa for further stay, which was definitely done by God’s concession, for reasons only He knows.

I thank and glorify our Venerated Lord not only for the good moments of such a missionary work at the edge of the earth but also for the moments of anguish, tribulation and sorrow.

I would like to thank our Patriarch, who supported me from beginning to end with his prayer and understanding.

I would also like to express my deep gratitude to all the good friends and associates from Greece, America and Australia for supporting this missionary work.

I have nothing more to say, but will only repeat the wise words of the “golden-mouthed” St. John: “Glory be to God for all things. Amen” † Amphilochios of Ganos and Chora

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Embracing orphans in Kolkata

When one first sets foot in Calcutta, one seems to have been transported to another planet, to a parallel universe. It is not just the appalling poverty that is present all around; it is not the heaps of garbage that are spread everywhere; it is not the crowds of people of all ages that are crammed onto the streets and the sidewalks. In Calcutta, life walks hand-in-hand with death, the living with the dead, hell with meagre paradises.

Here, the spectacle is painful to both eyes and soul: mothers washing their children on the sidewalks after having hung out a wash of rags, stray dogs with open infected wounds running here and there, people lying down without 40

anyone knowing whether they are dead or alive, little kids looking for food in the garbage along with crows… Words are not enough to convey the deep desperation, the intense sadness and the profound reflection that you sink into when you dive with all five senses into this woeful atmosphere of the so called “City of Joy”.

And then... when after these pictures, the dust and the suffocating smells the doors of the «Theotokos» Orphanage are opened, it feels like crossing the threshold of Paradise.

The well looked after garden with the fragrant flowers; the small veggie garden that fills children’s dishes with fresh vegetables; the

white church that opens its door to anyone who wishes to find peace in prayer. The smiling faces of the clean children who run carefree on the playground. The big tender embrace of Sister Nektaria, which holds and comforts every child, helping them forget about their pain or worries and making them want to dream again.

Sister Nektaria is not only in charge of all the programs and services provided by the Philanthropic Society of the Orthodox Church, but she is also responsible for approximately 120 orphans, all of whom are children

hosted at «St. Ignatius»and «Theotokos», orphanages for boys and girls respectively.

Despite the countless cases that she has to accomplish every day, she works unceasingly, tirelessly and without rest and is always there to listen to any small or older child in order to advise them and with her affectionate love reduce as much as possible the pain caused by the absence of the mother, of the father, or even worse, of both parents, who the children had to be separated from, either due to death, or to certain adverse circumstances.

Besides shelter, food and

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education, the main concern of the two Orphanages is to provide safety, protection and love for all children.

The younger find a family on the faces of the big ones, the big ones find support to keep their hopes alive, pursue their goals until they have achieved them, and set others, higher or long-term ones.

At the Orphanage, the children are instilled moral values and principles and are taught how to behave with respect, gratitude, honesty and humility. They learn not only to write, read, speak, but also to play, dance, sing and paint.

In a nutshell, in the orphanage the children receive all the necessary

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skills and qualifications so as to become whole, integral persons with dreams and hopes.

At this point it is worth saying a few words about the new school, whose construction is funded by the Charitable Organization of the Orthodox Church in order to ensure the integrated schooling of the children coming from the Orphanages as well as the surrounding rural areas. The necessity of this ambitious and costly project stems from the fact that due to a change in Indian law, the existing building housing the ÂŤSt. IgnatiusÂť school, which the children are now attending,

His Eminence bishop Constatinos of Singapore inaugurating our new school on May 4, 2019

no longer fulfills the necessary criteria and requirements (see www.ekotafilm.com). Thus, “Saint Ignatius” cannot get recognition from the local Ministry of Education so as to give students the opportunity to pass the PanIndian Examinations at the end of the Middle School. Consequently, students who finish Middle School (or will graduate in the next few years) , not having the opportunity to pass the examinations at their school, are forced to stop their education, or enroll in other recognized schools, which is either very difficult or impossible since tuition fees are very expensive and could not possibly be covered.

This situation is becoming more

and more difficult to handle as the number of younger children in orphanages is growing.

The only solution to this matter appeared to be the construction of a new modern school accredited by the Ministry of Education so that children can pass the exams and complete their education smoothly.

Your support for the completion of this project is vital for the orphans because their future development, independence and quality of life depend largely on that.

Every contribution is welcome as it allows these children to have a beautiful tomorrow, without the fear of being dumped again on the streets of the “City of Joy”.

Leda Kypriotou 43

The Contribution of Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos to the Mission of Africa

By His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Kinshasa - Part B Rev. Protopresbyter Fr. Eirinaios Magimbi writes, ÂŤLate Fr. Chrysostomos arrived in Uganda in 1960, after having discussed this matter for four whole years with His Grace Bishop Theophilus at the University of Athens, when studying Theology. It was then that he decided to enter the Mission field and undertake the missionary work in Eastern Africa.

Fr. Chrysostomos loved Mission wholeheartedly and dedicated his life to the dissemination of the Greek Orthodox Faith. He had such a fervent zeal and earnest desire to serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit that he became a perfect laborer in the Mission field. When it came to the performance of his pastoral duties,

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he was proven a real missionary.

I in particular was a close associate of the late Fr. Chrysostomos from the very beginning, in fact, from the very first day of his arrival in Uganda. Together, with the help of God, we created many things and organized various activities anticipating fruition in our Mission. In general, we worked together for the establishment, development and fruitful progress of the Orthodox Faith in Uganda.

He promised God to serve Mission for 10 whole years, and indeed, he completed them with infinite and immeasurable love, since he was working hard and tirelessly for the dissemination and development of the Greek-Orthodox teaching.

When the late Father came here, the only place he found to live in was a little house in the church hill in Namugona. He used his own money to build this present house, known today as “Monastiraki” (little monastery). Firstly he rented a house close to a /the church. Then he moved into the unfinished structure so as to save some money from the rent. As he could not afford to complete it all, he only finished one room and covered it with a roof.

It was after a whole year that he finally managed to finish the whole house.

On his decision, we went on pastoral tours all over Eastern Africa, and on these journeys I was given the chance to indulge religious emotions. This happened mainly because whenever we travelled to Easernt Africa, not even once did he seem to be disappointed for any reason; on the contrary, he was gifted with a great deal of patience, perseverance, and extraordinary temperance.

The deceased took action for a number of things, such as access to clean water and electricity, creation of libraries and printing houses, and so on. His life was exemplary and didactic. Our Mission is in very big need of “workers” like the late Fr. Chrysostomos. He wrote many letters to those who had heard or embraced Orthodoxy everywhere in the world. He had a good knowledge of English and French, and translated the Divine Liturgy. He even managed to master Swahili, despite its difficulties.

Fr. Chrysostomos sent me a letter on 24/12/72, in which he was inviting me to go and help him in Zaire, where he settled for two years searching for his black children. He explained to me that he was very tired and he was no longer able to do his job the way he should. Then, at the end of December, we heard that he had passed away.

The death of our beloved Father caused a great sorrow in our souls. Africa

had lost a conscientious and wise/prudent laborer in our Lord’s Vineyard.

Uganda is in great need of many persons like Fr. Chrysostomos, who are able to spread the Holy Teaching of Christ.

Many of the civilized African people still have not heard of Orthodoxy. The black children of the late Father repeatedly ask where he is and why he has left Uganda and Kenya. His good deeds were very didactic, and are still remembered in the depths of Africa: faith without works is dead.

Fr. Irinaeus Magimbi, Protopresbyter – Farmer, with a multi-membered family Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas- Kampala (Namugona), P.O. VOX 3970. Uganda On the Christmas of 1963 he publishes in printed form and circulates the «Information Bulletin» as a journal of the Metropolis of Irinoupolis. Through it he informs its readers about the missionary efforts of the Metropolis, and publishes soul-stirring articles on Mission written by him, which raise people’s missionary awareness.

In the first issue, he publishes the “Resolution”, signed by Fr. Rouvim Mukasa Sparta and another twenty clergymen, as well as lay rulers of the so-called African Greek Orthodox Church of Uganda and Kenya. This consists of 5 articles. In it, the signatories express their commitment to the Orthodox Faith and Church, their absolute trust and dedication to the Patriarchate of Alexandria, to Patriarch Christophoros and to Metropolitan Nicholaos of Irinoupolis. They also express their desire to live by the Holy Canons and the General Ecclesiastical Rules, and ask the Metropolitan for «the drafting of a Charter and of Rules of Procedure for the H. Metropolis and each parish, which, once approved by the Patriarchate, should be notified to all the Orthodox Christians in Eastern Africa for compliance”. In it they object to any kind of racial discrimina-

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tion.

In the same issue, he explains what “Mission” means and what its work involves.

In the second issue dated April 1st, 1964, which is a clarion call, he calls everyone to help. In it he defines what «a missionary» is, adding a new term, that of the «missionary associate,» and calls for the creation of groups in every place and every city in support of Mission. He explains to us that the neological term “missionary associates « refers to the devout Christians who, for reasons beyond their own will, cannot possibly move to a foreign country as missionaries. However, since they have the fervent zeal and the earnest desire for such work, they contribute to it - to the extent possible- both spiritually and materially, so as to support and enhance the missionary work and those undertaking it. This kind of «missionary associates « is what all pious and faithful in Christ people all around the world are called to become- regardless of country, town, social class, age or sex- and are asked to form groups and associations in support of this purpose...”

A year ago his spiritual children in Thessaloniki created the missionary society «Friends of Uganda».

The purpose of this society is to help Fr. Chrysostomos, make his missionary work known, and also disseminate the spirit of Mission. They publish a periodical with correspondence and reports from missionaries as well as relevant topics, and organize regular meetings of young people with such topics and updates. Among the attendees, was John Aslanidis, later known as Fr. Kosmas.

Fr. Chrysostomos works hard and systematically, following a goal-oriented schedule. He considers the first five years of 1960-1965 a period of preparation. He writes about it: «This 5 year-period can only be regarded as preparatory. Of course,

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the work was not at all substandard and contributed a lot to the implementation of internal activities and projects. In fact, it resulted in several mass baptisms, the ordination of dozens of priests, the construction of buildings and improvements in institutional facilities and the like. Above all, our main concern was to raise awareness of Mission Outreach in Eastern Africa and make it known not only to the Greeks all over the world, but also worldwide, to all those immediately interested, as well as to every Orthodox soul, regardless of nationality. This aspect of such work is still absolutely necessary because, as we have often stressed, without external support and assistance, the missionary work cannot possibly move forward...

The new 5-year period of 1966-70 begins on 1st January. It is now time to focus mainly on the interior. « In August 1967 he establishes the Seminar at Kagira Region (about 9 miles from Nairobi), where 28 seminarians were enrolled. The Blessing service, performed by Fr. Chrysostomos himself, was attended by Fr. A. Gadounas, the representative of the Municipal City Council and a lot of people.

“The Theological Seminary, writes his assistant Konstantinos Vassilopoulos, was the most important achievement for our mission, according to highly experienced Fr. Chrysostomos. He struggled incredibly hard to create, maintain and make the most of it in the best possible way.”

Fr. Chrysostomos mentions, «We hope for the Lord that He will bless our efforts, and that the operation of this holy nursery will be continued; and being constantly improved, it will eventually bear fruit. In order to achieve such results though, it is imperative that we have two, or at least one theologically educated person.

(To be continued)

A Fragrant Flower To Missionary Siter Nectaria

This day, as dawn comes on Accept an indelible gift from me, The sun that will be born in your heart.

It will be all bright, Like the spiritual beams of your soul.

Do you remember my confession long ago?

Your humility blended with affectionate compassion When you freed orphaned children From the muddy dirt roads of Calcutta.

It was your humble, kind heart That washed them with sorrowful tears.

Your embrace welcomed them with open wings Of life-bearing love, like the birds in their nest.

Now begins a new year of toil.

Emotion says goodbye to sadness Even if it’s just for a while, When I look at the newly built school of the orphanage, A school blessed by a triad of missionaries, And I behold the immeasurably high cross at the entrance, An entrance to a promising education.

Let our emotions take part In this game of blooming joy…

Those loving Orthodox Mission to the nations.

Brave at heart, Missionary Sister Nektaria, You are always wonderful, fragrant in spirit In the course of time, But also in life- like a dream of spring...

In India’s orchard of Christ…

Nostis Psarras 47