#12 • SEPTEMBER 2015
orthodox mission Quarterly Publication of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
orthodox mission
Founded in 1963 Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria #12 July - September 2015 (gr230) Editor: Nostis Psarras Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius
IN THIS ISSUE 04 10 14 17 21 26 28 33 34 37 41 43 44 45
Patriarchal tour Pacific Islands Indonesia Malawi Kenya Sudan & South Sudan Guinea Tanzania Congo Brazzaville My son Grass for the cattle A container for Sierra Leone Crystallia Anghelidou Columns of Gratitude
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Board of Directors Demetrios Sotirkos Chairman
Nostis Psarras Vice chairman Angeliki Arnaouti Secretary General Charalampos Metallides Τreasurer Constantinos Metallides Secretary Assistant Evangelia Traicoudes Treasurer Assistant Maria Cazamia Member Constantinos Caracolis Member Panagiotis Anastasiades Member
Pricking consciences
ÂŤAsk, and it shall be given youÂť Matt. 7:1-14 When death approaches children ... they hope for the gentle touch of human solidarity. When death touches children ... they travel unconscious to the twilight of life. When death embraces children ... they bid farewell to this materialistic society from the heavenly station of divine justice. Orthodox Missionary Fraternity Changing lives since 1963 3
MADAGASCAR
Patriachal journey on the largest island of Africa Dear Friends of the Mission, It is with great pleasure that I communicate with you in order to inform you of the official visit of our Prelatic Shepherd, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore, to Madagascar last June. This visit was planned long ago, so by the grace of God and the blessing of our spiritual father it was a great success. We praise God and thank everyone who contributed to the good organization of the visit of the Primate, clergy and laity. All of us tried to do the very best we could for the glory of God and our Church. The venerable Primate with his entourage arrived at the airport on 29th May. There he was welcomed 4
by a large crowd of young and old, all dressed in traditional costumes and holding in their hands small flags of the Patriarchate and of Madagascar. Also present were representatives of the state, ambassadors and other important agents. At the entrance to the S. Church priests and people were waiting lined up in two rows and chanting «Axion Estin». They all went to the church, where a doxology was performed and speeches were given respectively. His Beatitude thanked everyone for the warm welcome they had reserved for him. The next day, the Saturday before Pentecost the inauguration of the girls’ orphanage was held on a privately owned Mission land of
10,000 sqm in a suburb of the capital. The construction of the building had begun a long time before with major funding coming from Australian expatriates, with the blessing and support of the Archdiocese of Australia. A wing was funded by the lady donor Mrs. Sarafoglou in memory of her husband Nicholas, through the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. By the grace of God the construction work ended, except for a few remaining details and the interior equipment. The orphanage was a dream come true by the grace of God and with the people’s assistance. In my humble opinion, charity work should be interrelated with missionary work in these countries. The orphanage will
be home to both orphaned girls and abandoned ones and will provide these children not only with shelter, clothing and education but also with a bright future and integration into the society. The opening ceremony took place in a spiritual atmosphere with rich decoration, crowds of people and participation of politicians and other ecclesiastical authorities. The inauguration of the Sacred Church of the Theotokos, which is located within the premises of the Orphanage, was scheduled for the day of Pentecost. The church was built in order to meet the spiritual needs of the children that will be accommodated in the orphanage, but it will also serve as a parish church. It is situated in a
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good location close to a main road. The opening ceremony was held with all due solemnity and reverence, while the Archbishop explained the meaning of each moment. The service was a long-lasting one, but the world and the officials stayed till the end. Subsequent to the service, there was a fellowship dinner for the entire congregation accompanied by a rich program of traditional music and dance. On the Monday of the Holy Spirit there was a Divine Liturgy celebrated at the cathedral, where His Beatitude honored clergymen for their significant contribution to the Church and to the missionary effort as well as laypeople for their selfless love and genuine interest in 6
the Church. After the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude met with all the priests of the H. Metropolis, heard their problems and gave them counseling and guidance for their spiritual growth. The next day, His Beatitude met with the President of the Republic of Madagascar. The meeting was attended by His Excellency the Ambassador of Egypt, the Honorary Consul of Greece and Cyprus and clergymen of the H. Metropolis. His Beatitude informed the President about the missionary and charity work done by our Holy Metropolis. The event scheduled for the next day, 3rd June 2015, was the opening of the University in
The new Girls' Orphanage of our Mission in Antananarivo
Manakara. This town is 600 km away from the capital and is located southeast of the country. The university construction was funded by Christian donors from Karditsa, Greece, upon the initiative of The Very Reverend Archimandrite Fr. Kyriakos Tsolakis, and was built at the request of the District Governor in order to meet basic needs of agronomic nature regarding tropical plants and other types of surveys. Upon arrival in Manakara, the Patriarch and his entourage as well as all the faithful went to the Holy Trinity Church, a donation of your Fraternity, where a doxology was chanted. His Beatitude spoke briefly to the flock and then, all together, arrived at the univer-
sity premises, where many people, including official agents, were gathered waiting for their Spiritual Shepherd. The opening ceremony was attended by enthusiastic crowds and a multitude of students. The State Representative thanked His Beatitude for this great contribution of the Church to the Government and conveyed the appreciation and gratitude of the country’s President. On June 4th there was a scheduled visit of His Beatitude to Arany village for the opening of a high school. The village is two hours away from the missionary center. Schoolchildren in traditional dress holding flags in hand were singing traditional songs. The 7
The Patriarch of Africa in the orphanage courtyard bells were ringing joyfully until we arrived at the church. Next, we all went to the high school, which is situated beside the church, for the conduction of the Water Blessing ceremony. On Friday 5th June 2015, His Beatitude with his entourage arrived in Toliara, the biggest town in the southern part of the country. The church was filled with people of all ages, young and old, who had come from the villages to welcome the Patriarch. His Beatitude thanked them and spoke with spiritual words about the salvation of the soul. The schedule for the next day included the opening of the medical clinic at the missionary center. In this region of Toliara there is a clinic with a lot of departments. The person in charge, Fr. Anasta8
sios from Cyprus, monk and physician, considered a good idea to have hospital-level upgrades for the clinic by creating more departments. The project was completed thanks to the generous donation of an anonymous lady, and on June 6th the inauguration took place. His Beatitude officiated at the Blessing Ceremony and then was shown around all the wings of the clinic. On Sunday, June 7th, His Beatitude along with the priests celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the indoor stadium of Toliara, which had been properly equipped with a raised platform, a large altar, icons, a throne and all the things required for the celebration of the D. Liturgy. Crowds of faithful as well as officials had been gathering since the morning, Our Christians had arrived by
bus in time for the event, even those from the most remote villages. Soon the stadium was filled to capacity. Everything was marked by the majesty and the splendor of the Eucharist. The Patriarch and the priests as well as the dances created a spiritual atmosphere. In the end, His Beatitude preached the Word of God, administered Holy Communion and after the dismissal he distributed the holy bread to the people present. Everyone rejoiced and enjoyed this spiritual feast, praising the name of the great God. Returning to the missionary center, a fellowship meal had been prepared for all the faithful, as it was getting late, and many of them
had to take the way back home to their distant villages. The visit of the Patriarch was a blessing for the Metropolis 0f Madagascar. The presence of His Beatitude was necessary because it gave us courage to continue our struggle, overcome the difficulties and the problems we encounter, communicate with him like a father to his children, talk about our problems freely and unreservedly and make decisions on new projects together in the future. This communication is essential because we are confronted with plenty of difficulties and problems, which requires the mediation of our Patriarch with his long and varied experience. †Ignatios of Madagascar
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PACIFIC ISLANDS
I came to cast fire upon the earth
“Blessed is God, who desires all men to be saved, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.” Peace and joy be upon you from the Pacific islands Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. With the help of our Good God three projects have been completed in Fiji: the majestic Holy Trinity Sacred Church, the St. Tabitha Orphanage and the Home for the unprotected women known as “Safe Home”. The inauguration ceremony held on February 8 was a reward and completion of Joy for the Orthodox Fijians and Greeks who came from Greece, America, Australia and New Zealand in order to share with them 10
through prayer and effort all the blessings of those days. Peace and blessings be upon the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, the blessed Christians of Greece and other countries who, through this Fraternity, contributed significantly to the purchase of this land and the completion of these projects. The divine blessings continue to flow and have already reached the second island-state belonging to the Holy Metropolis of New Zealand along with Fiji and Samoa. The Orthodox Church has been officially recognized here as well by the Royal Government. A relative of King Tupou VI, Kisione Fakafanua,
helped in finding and purchasing the land for the construction of a church in honor of Saint George the Triumphant and dwellings on the same plot for the priest rectory and the persons assisting the mission. Peace and blessings be upon the members of the «St. John the Theologian» Missionary Society and the charitable Christians of Aspropyrgos as well as our Christian brothers- members of the Missionary Fraternity in Australia ‘Missionary Fr. Nicholas Marketos”. «Thanks to their love and generous contributions, we laid the foundations for the Mission on the beautiful island of Tonga, whose inhabitants are characterized by an upright, wellpoised figure. We would not like the third is-
land-state of Samoa to be left disappointed. We went by plane from Tonga to Auckland, New Zealand, where, with the help of God, we conducted the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity church that was celebrating, to the great joy of our Christians and us all. So, equipped with the rich grace of the Holy Spirit, we arrived in beautiful Samoa with the high mountains, the canyons and the cold waters, and above all, with its faithful and pious people. Our trip was exploratory. We wanted to see whether it was possible to build there the church of St. John the Evangelist, as per the wish of a Christian family from Aspropyrgos. Two things strengthened our willpower: first our wish to pro-
The first group of catechumens in Tonga islands
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ceed with the construction of this church and second the beginning of the Mission on this island, which is populated by two hundred thousand souls. The very first night I dreamed that I was at the Sacred Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos, dealing with the cleaning and tidying of this sacred place and then discussing with people of the Holy Monastery of John the Theologian the problems of this pilgrimage shrine of global fame. The next morning, my companions Fr. Paul and Fr. Meletios came out in the hotel garden to pray. They were seen in their robes by the gardener and were asked whether they were Muslims. They 12
answered negatively, telling him they were Orthodox Christians. Soon I was there myself and we made a brief catechesis on the historical overview and essence of Orthodoxy for him. Mr. Oualesi (that was his name) was enthused and so was his fellow gardener Mr. Kelly, who begged us to go to his house and bless his sick wife. Later that day, we went to Oualesi’s house and conducted a short water blessing service for his own sick wife, who was suffering from terrible pains all over her body. We told them about the sign of the Holy Cross, what it means and how it should be made, and they did so with deep faith and full awareness of its symbolism until the end of the blessing ser-
vice, when, by the Grace of God, all the pains of the sick woman had stopped. Then we met Mr. Pepe, pastor of a small Protestant group, who himself did not know the exact beliefs their group professed. It was with great interest and joy that he heard what we told him about Orthodoxy, and he agreed to embrace it and become an Orthodox priest. Another evening we talked to a small gathering of their relatives about Patmos and John the Evangelist asking for their support in finding plots for erecting a church in his honor. People in Samoa have a peculiarity. They are calm, smiling, and deeply religious. I think that they
deserve to be members of the Holy and True Orthodox Church and not expect to be fed with the spiritual crumbs of the heretical Protestants, especially those of the extreme Mormons, who do not have the crucifix in their temples. But as without faith in the Resurrection gospel preaching loses all meaning, without believing in the Cross the Christian identity disappears and the theology of salvation in Christ through the God-man’s sacrifice on the cross loses its meaning. Let us support this new opening of the Orthodox Church for the evangelization of this island, which will lead our brothers to salvation. †Amphilochios of New Zealand
School parade in Tonga islands
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INDONESIA
Great blessings for the Sumatra Mission Dear Friends of the Mission, With God’s help we do well. I would like to write about some of our news here in Indonesia. In the first half of July we were visited by our venerable brothers from America. During their stay in Sumatra, they helped us in teaching our faith. In the first week of their stay, they gave lessons to our simple-hearted Indonesian brothers (on iconography, confession, fasting, Church Mission, catechetical school for both children and youth). In the second week they came to the Theological Faculty and delivered lectures to our students. We were present there too, because we were offered the great treasures of the Orthodox faith. 14
It was also a great blessing for us, the Orthodox Christians here in Sumatra Indonesia, that the Mother Church offered us two new priests to minister, with the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Singapore, who visited us, performed the ordinations and stayed with us for a few days to give us his blessing. Thus, on July 11th, Deacon Luke became a presbyter to minister in Sumbul. Chariton from the island of Nias became a deacon with a view to becoming a priest on the same island in the future. So in Sumatra we now have three presbyters (Fr. Chrysostomos, Fr. Theodosius and Fr. Luke) and a deacon. May the Most Merciful God enlarge His Vineyard in far off Indonesia
and supply more laborers, that is, priests, to work in it. A great blessing indeed, but at the same time it fills us with anxiety. This is so because the economic situation for our Mission in Indonesia is bad. If things do not get better soon and this crisis goes on for long, then we should take steps in order to help our Orthodox Mission to stand on its own feet. Of course, thanks to the great love of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, we have established a few schools, which make no material gain, they only help in the propagation and dissemination of the Orthodox Faith.
I now have before me three priests who want to work in the Vineyard of the Lord Jesus Christ, without getting paid. However, how will they be able to support themselves and their families? And how will they stand in the Lord’s ministry since the flock is scanty? Therefore, my brothers, until the flock grows, they have to work on their own in order to meet their expenses. This is why I believe that each priest should have their own small field. This might be the solution to the existing problem so that the ministry of our Orthodox Church here in Indonesia can continue. So
Hagia Sophia School, set by our Fraternity
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we pray that the Most Merciful God will send forth donors for this issue. A cost estimate for three fields suitable for this case is approximately â‚Ź 30,000. Our ministry on the island of Nias goes on well. Father Hariton is in charge of our Institute there. Besides being the headmaster of our St. Nicholas Middle School, he ministers in all three communities. We pray that the Most Merciful God through His love and blessing will make him worthy of becoming a priest of the Almighty God himself in the future. So far this year we have been to this island 3 times.
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Father Theodosius is a great help to me. For each Divine Liturgy out of St. Demetrios Sacred Church in Medan, I send father Dionysios, while the newly ordained Fr. Luke is by my side assisting me, until he gains enough experience himself. I sincerely apologize for bothering you with the problems of our Mission here in Indonesia. I pray that the Most Merciful God always blesses you abundantly. May you have a good and blessed autumn! With love in Christ Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu
Orthodox wedding in Sumatra
MALAWI
A new church for the Orthodox Christians of Nkhuwala My dear brothers in Christ, Rejoice in the Lord! Today I would like to announce the good news from the Orthodox Mission of Malawi. As you recall, about a year ago, we started building the Sacred Church of Ss. Cosmas and Damian in the third world country of Malawi. You found us the donor, so all this time by the grace of God we were trying to achieve this goal, i.e., the construction of the church. And now, after ten months, we are pleased to announce that the Temple has been completed, and that it is solidly built and really beautiful. The church occupies a surface of 430 square meters, has a baptis-
mal pool inside and can accommodate over 400 people. You cannot imagine the joy of the faithful in Nkhuwala village, where we built it. The village was overflowing with gratitude and joy, expressed through prayers of praise to the Most Merciful God for making them worthy to have beside them an Orthodox church in order to worship our Triune God the Orthodox way. They are now able to offer up hymns and prayers to Him and participate in the holy and life-giving sacraments that are conducted there. Thus the pure white souls of our Malawian brothers can be sanctified. What is really moving and 17
Ss. Cosmas and Damian Orthodox Church in Nkhuwala, worth mentioning though is the fact that throughout the building process, the Orthodox neophytes of the Nkhuwala village were flanking the contractor, overseeing the construction so that the right materials would be put in place and making observations and corrections to prevent sloppy work and shortcomings. They wanted to make sure that even the last brick would be of good quality, that there was the right amount of cement and iron for a solid construction. They said they wanted a church for a lifetime, a church to be used by the next generations too, children and grandchildren. When the church construction 18
was finally completed, we visited them and they promised to take care of the church as well as the parish and bring more faithful so that the place would be filled with Orthodox neophytes. In order to achieve that purpose they have a very good catechist, Ermolaos, who was baptized five years ago, and all this time he has shown fervent zeal and love for our faith. Catechist Ermolaos goes from house to house preaching, encouraging the faithful, giving them counsel and guidance, strengthening them spiritually and explaining to them the truth of Orthodoxy. My brothers, please strengthen your prayers for catechist Ermolaos,
funded by an anonymous donor of our Fraternity as, God willing, he has the potential to be a priest and minister to the Holy Altar of this sacred church. For the time being, since the church should start operating, Father Sophronius will be visiting it from Kabotzi, which is an hour distance by bicycle. Fr. Sophronius is the one that has been going to Nkhuwala village twice a month for years in order to conduct the Divine Liturgy in a mud hut. However, despite our great satisfaction for the completion of the church, we never stop striving for the improvement of the living conditions here and for ensuring that other needs are met as well. We appeal to all of you and pray for a
noble donor to be found for the construction of a rectory, that is, a little house beside the church for the priest to stay and minister to the Christians. Besides that, my brothers, we need another 3,000 euro for equipping the church with 45 large icons for the iconostasis as well as the church walls. It is also important that we satisfy the thirst of our Malawian brothers for reading the New Testament. We are often asked for that, so we decided to try to present them with the New Testament that has been translated into tsitseoua, the local dialect. Each New Testament costs 4 euro; once again we appeal to your kind heart to help us buy as 19
many as possible. How nice it would be if every believer could study their own New Testament! The need for wells in many villages continues to be one of our main concerns, since water is a key element for the improvement of human life. Therefore, we ask for the help of believers in Greece in this field too, being aware of the heavy burden they currently have to bear as well, but also knowing deep inside that faith in the providence of God when expressed through human assistance to fellow man, always provides solutions to our impasses. The variety of contrasts we experience here in Malawi, with the people smiling despite living
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in mud huts, having faith in God’s Providence despite the adversities, the active assistance and gratitude for the little they have in spite of living in poverty and privation, could definitely give us, the children of Greece, the strength to carry on, to remain close to the holy sacraments and expect to fulfill our higher aspirations showing true repentance. All we need is humble, repentant hearts that will accept Him to dwell in them. Finally, we particularly thank our anonymous donor and extend the deep and sincere gratitude of the parishioners of the S. Church, whose presence is an eternal memorial for him and his family. Fr. Ermolaos Iatrou
A new drilling by our Fraternity in Chambwinza village
KENYA
Orthodoxy renews people For many years people had been waiting for Christ to come: the One who would bring love and peace, the real smile and justice, equality and serenity, things so precious to someone who wants to feel the true meaning of life. Since then two thousand years have gone by and still there are people who not only live in poverty and deprivation, but also have not even heard that message of love and justice. They are still waiting for him; they have not yet met Him or seen Him. The doleful land of Africa was deprived of this great gift of God, did not see the light or the sun of justice when it was revealed to humanity. Suddenly, this light came and
shone for this land too. And the indigenous peoples, trying to comprehend this great mystery of the Resurrection, started building and inaugurating sacred churches in the name of God and realized that they should feel as His own children. Now they know that God is the One who embraces and accompanies them in their lives. He shows them the way and they walk along with Him. This is the mystery of the Gospel. They live and move between divine intervention and love. As for the Orthodox Mission of the Patriarchate of Alexandria throughout the African continent, one of its main concerns is to build schools for educating young people in order not only to combat illiter21
Makeshift church in Nakuru acy but also to help them become useful citizens. Moreover, the Orthodox Church of Kenya is struggling to diminish pain and fight disease by providing free medical care to all people. Once again, the Orthodox Church, being sensitized to all this agony and life of hardship, offers its contribution to alleviate those poor people’s pain and fight injustice, which they are suffering from. The church bell rings and calls the faithful for the eternal journey to the Kingdom of Heaven; they dance and play, thanking and praising God with their simple, pure, selfless heart. For many years the Holy Metropolis of Kenya has been working with various charitable organizations; as a result of this collaboration, there are annual visits on a permanent basis, tours with 22
doctors of all specialties and other volunteers who heal physical as well as spiritual wounds. Hospitals, clinics, schools, churches are tokens of the bond of love coming from Orthodox believers all around the world. The local authorities recognize their contribution, appreciate it and express their gratitude for it. As for the people’s pleasure, this is manifest and expressed in so many different ways. It seems like doors and windows are opened to them... they taste the joy and blessings that are now offered by the presence of Orthodoxy; the love of God has entered into their homes making them feel that they are children of God, noble creatures, all equal before Him... These visits strengthen the people. This hope that we have not forgotten them is offered even to those living in the
most remote areas. The Church is beside them, having undertaken the great mission of providing spiritual care as well as social welfare and assistance. Not long after the acquaintance with true faith, the living conditions got better and the people started appreciating more things such as nature, the beauty of creation, life itself as a gift from God despite the adversities they were confronted with. Through the missionary movement and activity of Orthodoxy these people, young and old, are offered hope, joy as well as peacefulness and are able to smile... This is what the Orthodox spirit does. The tradition of Orthodoxy along with local habits forms a
wonderful mosaic, rich in content. Now the people continue their traditions, their daily habits in a new perspective, that of a new life. This is the true path of Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy embraces all people, accepts their traditional habits. This is, then, the superpower that can save humanity and spare man from aimless searching and wandering. It can offer a lot of light, the true light, which will transform and regenerate the human race. Today Orthodoxy renews its strength and determines the real dimensions of its mission, an ecumenical and universal message: to embrace all people of all races, all backgrounds and all languages. †Makarios of Kenya
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His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore in Holy Trinity church
in Manakara, Madagascar, sponsored by our Fraternity
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SUDAN / SOUTH SUDAN
This is a desert place The word of God on the eighth Sunday of Matthew is very remarkable. There are two sentences that literally describe the mission work in the countries in Africa and a miracle, that of the multiplication of the loaves, which proves beyond the slightest doubt that this missionary work is God’s work. The disciples respond to the Lord’s commandment «you give them to eat ...» We do not have enough food for so many people, only five loaves and two fish. It is obvious that human logic, «arithmetic reasoning», is limited, whereas God’s logic removes all kinds of limitations and not only makes the five loaves and the two fish be enough to feed more than five thousand people but also has an abundance left over. 26
In this excerpt there are two points of significance that are worthy of attention, reveal what is human and what is divine and how church work, in this case missionary work, is accomplished according to human standards. The disciples give this minimum and meager amount of food (five loaves and two fish), which, however, is necessary for God to take and bless in order to multiply it into abundance. In fact, this is what happens on the Mission field: the slender means available in the work of the Orthodox Church, within Mission are taken by God and are multiplied, thus being enough to meet a multitude of needs. It is also important to mention
that God, after the multiplication of the scanty food, does not distribute it among the people Himself, but He gives it back to the disciples and those in turn to the hungry people. This way, Christ shows us that cooperation between God and man is a necessary condition for the realization of this project called «the Miracle of the Mission». The morals drawn from this are the following: First, it was necessary for the Apostles to have those few things, which was a precondition for the occurrence of the miracle. Second, God reveals that the work of the Church, in this case the Mission, is a divine work done by human hands.
Dear members of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and our companions in this work, As for our lot from God, that was to minister in Africa; this is why we gladly give whatever little we have, a little bit of hard work, a little bit of strength, a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of spirituality, patience, conscientiousness, skills, generally a little bit of everything. And God gives it back multiplied so that we can minister to His people’s needs. This work can only be realized with your own love and support to the Mission of Sudan. These were just a few heartfelt words I wanted to say. † Narcissus of Nubia
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SIERRA LEONE
Missionary tour in Western Africa Since the day the worst outbreak of Ebola struck West Africa, the few airlines that flew there have greatly limited the number of their flights. Others felt it right to suspend air travel to West Africa because the cabin crew refused to put themselves at risk due to the outbreak, or due to decreased demand, or for fear of carrying the epidemic to the most developed countries! Therefore, for Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone, there are a limited number of options for access from Europe. There is only one flight a week from Brussels, very few to Morocco and even fewer to Côte d’Ivoire. After traveling for 24 28
hours, having in my luggage not only religious items and the bread and the wine for the Holy Eucharist, but also the protection and love of God as well as the wishes and blessings of His Beatitude our Pope and Patriarch Theodore II, I arrived in Freetown, under torrential tropical rain. Upon arrival, at the entrance of the small airport building, there were doctors and nurses waiting for us in order to check our body temperature and the vaccine certificates confirming that we were provided with the necessary vaccines (against yellow fever, meningitis and other diseases). There we were asked to complete a special form
with our personal information and details about our plans (e.g., where we were planning to stay, which places we would be visiting, who we were going to meet and how we could be contacted by the authorities at any time.) The sun had already started going down, and the dusk was making people’s coldness and depression seem bigger. One could feel a sense of hopelessness all around due to the deadly epidemic that had struck the country and the problems caused by that. I went through the standard procedures quite easily and at the exit I was met by the driver of the Mission, who had arrived at the airport in the morning. There is one peculiarity here. The airport is located at the one end of the bay and the capital at the other, but there is no road linking the two, only a floating coffin with two daily itineraries. If one wants to go to the mainland by road, they have to travel a distance of 350 km, crossing high risk areas with several Ebola outbreaks. So we waited at the pier until 9pm that the ferry set off. If we did not wait patiently in the queue, we might not be able to board and have to wait for the next departure time, which was in the morning. The heat was unbearable, not to mention the humidity, which made the atmo-
sphere suffocating. In the dark one could make out dozens of people with disabilities, beggars and needy moving around. They were all asking for help. No sooner had the country got back on track from the civil war than the Ebola epidemic broke out in order to ravage it. Thank God, we managed to board the boat. After one hour journey, we arrived at our destination. At the pier it was Fr. Themistocles and his associates waiting for me. On the way to our destination, there was darkness and desolation. Due to the epidemic all the shops have to close at 6 pm. Briefing on the course of Mission work With the daylight the city started waking up. Fr. Themistocles informed me about his activities, projects and especially the emergency programs he had started because of Ebola, i.e., distribution of food, medicines, leaflets and others, the most important being the erection of an orphanage to shelter the children, who were orphaned due to Ebola. There I had the opportunity to visit many of the projects that your Orthodox Missionary Fraternity funded in this city to support our newly founded Mission in the country, which we are grateful for. 29
Ordination of clerics During the solemn Divine Liturgy on the Monday of the Holy Spirit, authorized by His Beatitude Theodore II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, I ordained Deacon Alexander Kamara Presbyter and the catechist Kyriakos Koroma Deacon. Kyriakos graduated last year from St. Athanasius Patriarchal School in Alexandria and then returned to his homeland to help Fr. Themistocles in his pious work, sharing with his countrymen all the knowledge and experiences he gained in Alexandria, the center of Orthodoxy in the African continent. Our youth was very happy because a young man from their own land was being ordained Deacon. So great was their joy that they 30
burst into cheers and applause. After the conventional admonitions to the young clerics, I conveyed to the congregation the wishes and blessings of our Patriarch and among other things, I underlined Fr. Themistocles’ heroic attitude during the epidemic, as he remained upon the ramparts defying danger in order to support his flock. Some days later, during the Divine Liturgy that I celebrated at Ss Constantine and Helen Church, I ordained Deacon Kyriakos Koroma Presbyter and through laying-on of hands I named Frs. Eleftherios Entmonson and Vaios Chonsile spiritual fathers. Laying the foundation stone This Divine Liturgy was attended by the Minister of Social Welfare,
who in his short speech referred to the large humanitarian work of the Orthodox Church in the country and stressed the fact that the President of Sierra Leone gave permit for an orphanage construction for the first time and he did so because of his trust and respect for the Orthodox Church, which has proved over the years that it has always been a selfless helper by the side of the wretched man under trial. What followed was the laying of the foundation stone of the orphanage in the courtyard of Ss Constantine and Helen Church.
Love Feast A meal of love for the entire congregation followed in the courtyard of the Orthodox Academy. During that I had the opportunity to talk to the teaching staff of the Academy and be informed not only about the students’ progress, but also about the future curriculum and operation of the Academy. Late in the afternoon, on the way to the Cathedral, I witnessed an Ebola outbreak at the central square of the city. A young girl was trying to balance with the help of two young men and was constantly vomiting
Baby cleaning by the Prevention of Ebola Service
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on the street- obvious Ebola symptoms. Some panic-stricken people around her were trying to help asking others for assistance in order to transport her to hospital. I felt worried seeing so many people being so close to a suspected case of the epidemic but at the same time I wondered what was more human, “to support the patient who needs help or to comply with the strict instructions that say to stay away from suspected cases and immediately alert the relevant authorities”? Unfortunately that is the way the epidemic spreads, many people are afraid of being characterized as informers when they report an incident to the authorities, others simply defy the danger. Departure from Sierra Leone The time of departure had come. The flight was scheduled for 4pm. The boat was leaving at 8 am. We were not able to catch it. There were two options: to travel either on a small speedboat or by road. Traveling by speedboat takes 30 minutes, while by car 4 hours. Fr. Themistocles did not trust the speedboat. Personally I did not trust the car and the hinterland. We prayed to God asking Him to enlighten us to choose the best route. Eventually we decided to take the risk. Our captain supplied us 32
with the necessary life jackets and set off. The distance was 18 nautical miles. The sea was calm, the sky cloudy. In the middle of the route a bang was heard and immediately the speed decreased. They assured us that they were able to handle the problem of the central engine and that they would continue with the backup engine at a lower speed. Thank God. I think that most passengers were terrified. Hopefully with Saint Nicholas’ help we managed to reach the opposite bank. At the airport, we were screened for fever again and again. Papers, forms, identification particulars. We had been screened around 6 times by the time we boarded the plane. Once I went through passport control, a police officer told me that I should go with her to the aircraft loading area because they had noticed something strange in my suitcases. I was trying to think what that strange thing might be and ultimately I realized they meant the incense and the charcoal I had with me for Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. At the last fever check before boarding the plane, we had the display recorded on the boarding pass, which we had to show upon arrival to prove that our temperature was the same. To be continued... † George of Guinea
TANZANIA
Irrigation of souls By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the blessings of His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and all Africa and the untiring concern of Metropolitan Demetrios of Irinoupolis, a valuable acquisition, the Sacred Church of St. Catherine, has been added to the Tanzanian region of Irigka in the village of Tanagkozi, located about thirty kilometers away from the town of Irigka. We express our infinite gratitude to the Hegumen of the Oropos Monastery for this generous donation. Moreover, we would like to thank heartily the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity for its continuous support to the great missionary work that has been done in Tanzania over the last few years.
With your recent donation of 5,000 euro we were able to print for the second time the New Testament in Swahili, the main language of the natives here. Through this kind act you gave the opportunity to two thousand homes to receive the Word of God, which enlightens people and bears fruit in their souls. Also, thanks to your 3,000 euro donation, a well will be constructed, so, along with the living water, we will be able to offer the people material water as well. Brethren, what can be more thrilling, what can be more joyous than hearing the voice of Christ the Fair Judge in His glorious Coming? “I was thirsty and ye gave me drink�. Archim. Fotios Chatziantoniou 33
CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
O you Apostles from afar “O you Apostles from afar, being now gathered together here…”: It sounds like a gentle touch that brings back childhood memories, somewhere in our home country, in the small picturesque church or the beauteous parish church, but always within the One Church of Christ, the Church of great sacrifices and major wonders. Hymns are sung to the Mother of the Redeemer, Mother and comforter of all Orthodox Christians, close and those from afar. The feast of the Assumption is the feast of the Church unity. It is from those distant places and from the ends of the earth that clouds grabbed the Apostles and transported them to the hum34
ble house of Gethsemane, to lay the body of the Most Holy Mother of God in burial. The All-Holy Virgin of silence, of tears, of pain, of the wronged, of strangers, of slaves, the Awesome Protection of those being persecuted, the Consolation of those in grief, the Blessed Virgin Mother of Life itself. Following in the footsteps of the Apostles, we left the native land of the ancestors, “there, where pennyroyal and wild mint grew and earth sprouted her first cyclamen”, which is bathed in the grace of the Paraclete, and has remained steadfast in its faith in the Triune God for two thousand years now. And we came near the edge of the world,
and now we send our voice to faroff places, a voice of early Christian times, the voice of a newly established Church. We appeal to our blessed brothers-countrymen, who still speak the language of the ancient philosophers and the Holy Fathers, whose people first accepted the preaching of the supreme among the Apostles Paul. The coelect Church of Congo-Brazzaville knows where to turn to, even if her voice comes from afar. The Apostles, present at the deathbed of the Most Holy Virgin, knelt before Her empty tomb‌ How could the Mother of Life be defeated by death? The laws of nature were truly defeated in You, Virgin immaculate! So on the ends of Afri-
ca, it is this Mother that we invoke and supplicate to, it is this Unity in the Church of Christ that we hope for and sing. We speak with filial piety to the same Mother, we nestle, rest and find peace in the same God-receiving bosom. It is Her that we resort to in times of trouble and affliction, different in nature from those of our home country, which, nevertheless, always remain causes of sorrow and distress. It is in Her, the same mother, that we find consolation and take refuge beneath the mantle of Her compassion. We walk on a land so different from our blessed Orthodox homeland, but at the same time so thirsty for receiving the Grace of God, on a land that only in recent years has
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it learned to worship the True God and put up churches, sometimes makeshift, sometimes permanent, but it sets them up! And in them it has learned to plead with God, Who was revealed to humanity in Jesus Christ, in unbreakable unity with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, just like around the mournful, yet life-bearing deathbed of the Virgin, where the Apostles were called and gathered from afar. We walk on a land where multiform and demonic temptations lurk to grab immortal human souls, mar the divine breath in them and lure them away to the dark and unredeemed paths of Hades through sorcery, sacrificial rites, idols and infernal ceremonies.
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This is the voice coming from afar that we ask you to hear, brothers, and pray to the Mother of the Orthodox Christians for the consolidation of the missionary struggle initiated before us by bold and brave priests, remarkable spiritual strugglers. As for us, we continue on the way they paved in obedience to the Church. Brothers, be the bridge to the dissemination of the Virgin’s victory over death even in the most remote or inaccessible areas on this edge of the equator, so that the Name of the Most Merciful God may be glorified and praised in the arms of the same Mother “with one voice and one heart”, and His mercies may be “with all of you”. † Panteleimon of Brazzaville
My son During the past month of May our Holy Metropolis here in Madagascar was honored with the visit of the Venerable Primate of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, His Beatitude Theodoros. The program that followed was admittedly quite exhaustive as he wanted in this short tour in our country, to cover the widest possible range of visits to His beloved flock regardless of cost, conditions and personal physical fatigue. On Friday afternoon June 5th he arrived in Toliara, the capital of the broader region in the southern part of the country. There he received a very warm reception
perfectly and earnestly organized by the whole body of clergy and the people of Toliara. At St. Andrew’s Cathedral he was addressed in the local language by the chancellor of our Holy Metropolis while the crowds of believers accompanied him with enthusiastic applause, an expression of deep emotion and love for their Venerable Primate. In the Toliara region he also inaugurated the new wing of the Orthodox medical clinic in Betanimena which has been erected courtesy of an anonymous ladydonor from Greece and the overall concern of the Cyprian monk Anastasios, who, with the help 37
of donors from Cyprus, provides full coverage for the maintenance of the clinic in terms of medicine and medical equipment. It is a project that relieves the suffering of the poor in our region since with minimal contribution on the part of the patients it covers the costs of diagnosis and treatment for our sick people in pain and distress. The ceremony was followed by festivities, where His Beatitude the Patriarch was warmly welcomed and addressed by representatives of the state and the local authorities who accompanied him throughout his visit to our town and who expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation not only to His person but also to the Orthodox Church as a whole for their continuous presence 38
and interest in the poor of South. The events culminated with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Indoor Stadium of Toliara, where both State and Church representatives as well as crowds of clergy and faithful sang and praised God in the first outdoor Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in southern Madagascar. One of the most emotional moments was when the Venerable Primate of our Patriarchate censed the crowds of believers, who were attending the Divine Liturgy with reverence from the stands of the stadium. The Patriarch was offering the incense and was blessing the world, the Stadium, our faithful, the clergy, our city ‌
Group baptism The journey of our Venerable Primate has come to an end. Now we are sitting with Him by the sea, where the famous Mozambican channel with its angry waves joins our world, the land of Madagascar, with the other similarly unfortunate Mozambique world, the land of Africa. His eyes, when gazing at the ocean, sometimes shed a tear and seem lost in thought. Sometimes they come alive again and talk to you through the serene smile on His face. They tell you about tomorrow, about the missionary vision, about expectations. He turns to one of the people present and with a deep and heavy tone in his voice utters the great and ultimate address. Not from a piece of paper, but from the bible of the
heart; a big heart, full of love and compassion for our fellow man. ÂŤMy son! Please, have these people at heart and provide for them! Take care of the poor of the remote and isolated regions of Toliara. Care about the faithful of our cities. Make our church shine through this city. Forget anything else, any other possibility for your life and dedicate yourself entirely to ministering to this poor people. My child! ... Safely graze my sheep! And always bear this Cross with love and patience. The Cross whose roots go very deep and meet our sweet basil. The basil that reveals our primeval past and our primal roots. The roots of Orthodoxy, the roots of Faith, Hope and Love in 39
this poor world. But above all the roots of Love; such a kind of Love that did not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the brother and the fellow man, and is eager to do it again if necessary. Look at the predecessor at the helm of this Holy Metropolis and remember this name forever: Nektarios! He passed on in the deep waters of the Holy Mountain and gave his martyred blood for his last mission in this world. His blessings will always follow you and his life will light your way and guide you! But my child, bear in mind
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that the blessings and wishes of a Patriarch will always follow you! Do not leave, my son! «If you love me, feed my sheep. Be a shepherd for my flock. ...And I am with you always, even unto the end of the world...” My son! I am going back to Alexandria, but my wishes and my prayers remain with you forever. My children! I always remember you in my prayers. May God and our Lady be with you.” Priestmonk Polycarpos of Hagia Anna
He causeth the grass to grow Dear Friends of the Mission, We would like to congratulate you on the great job you have been doing for the African nations through evangelism and support for those in need, especially our little orphans and the poor children. Unfortunately, the economic crisis that Greece is going through has had a great impact on our missionary work here in every respect, mainly as regards our support for the children in every school. We are confronted with plenty of difficulties in our effort to feed the orphans and provide them with school supplies, as we did before based on the financial assistance received from the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. This has definitely affected not only us but also the Orthodox Church in Uganda as a whole. However, we
have faith in God’s providence and still believe that everything will turn out well in the future, or as you say in Greek, Ola tha pane kala. At the general priestly assembly that took place last year, our spiritual father Metropolitan Jonah of Uganda advised all priests at every level of the parish to create possible means that will help them make every parish financially self-sufficient, so that we can continue our missionary work here without waiting for donors from Greece, since Greece is under strong financial pressure. For this reason we got down to work and made a small prospective study, which is simple yet difficult, because we lack the financial resources required to get started. We tried to find a way to work today for a better future in both our perma41
nent parish communities, St. James in Nawango and the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Nakyaka, along with the six chapels and all the others that are to be created. We agreed to start breeding livestock on a small farm of 2-3 hectares and put at least six cows as a simple start. We believe that if you help us buy this land and six cows, after at least two years, this small farm will be a source of income and will provide milk for our schools, giving an opportunity to the orphans and the poor children that we support to drink milk every day from their own farm. This project requires about 290o euro per hectare and 280 per cow, making a total of 5,800 euro for 2 hectares and 1,680 euro for six
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cows. However, the problem is that we cannot afford to buy this land and the animals at the above cost by ourselves. Therefore, brothers, we appeal to the friends of the Mission who can help us to support this effort in order to generate potential financial resources for the survival of our parish communities and our children. We continue to pray for you on a daily basis, so that the Almighty God, who loves mankind, redeems your life from every difficulty and gives you every gift in His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen! Finally, we would like to thank you wholeheartedly for your kind support and wish you a good autumn! Fr. Stephen Lunagula
Sierra Leone
New container of untiring love Considering the biblical disaster suffered by the poor people of Sierra Leone, our seriously ill fellow humans infected by the Ebola virus, the fearful faces of young and old as well as the consequences of this tragedy, makes my heart break. However, it does not die; it is revived, stirred by noble emotions and filled with hope ... It remembers Mother Teresa’s words: «There are no great things, only small things with great love.» It also remembers the ‘small miracle’: a few days before the referendum and the capital controls, with Greece being mired in a deep economic crisis, in a climate of cold war and political instability,
the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity by the grace of God managed to prepare and send another container of humanitarian aid consisting of food, clothing, toys, church supplies, hospital beds and other valuable commodities for the relief of our African brothers. This aid sent by our Fraternity, its members and all our brothers offering volunteer services at the Fraternity’s storehouse, is indeed small compared to the great needs of the people of Sierra Leone. But it was given with great love. /It was given with great love though. Constantine Metallides Theologian 43
Crystallia Angelidou A blooming smile for the children of Africa
On the big feast day of the Twelve Apostles (June 30th, 2015), your sacred relic on its way to the heavenly motherland was being accompanied by tears from Heaven... But perhaps the tears of the African children were also participating in a secret concordance with nature… Your missionary presence in Western Kenya, an area of the Nandi tribe where you so dedicatedly served, contributed significantly to the construction of a Sacred Church, witnessing scenes of spiritual emotion. In Africa, the meeting with absolute poverty touched your warm, loving heart deeply and transformed your inner goodness into a daily practice of charity. Your vision: the hungry children having enough food to eat every day, living with hope for tomorrow, an image which brings glimpses of joy to the mind. As a regular member of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, you humbly offered your ministry in spreading the Gospel message, but also in the monthly collection of donations «for the little African children», as you characteristically said. The crystal spring of your heart values, tirelessly quenched the thirst of the people seeking the
Christian faith.
May this be a proper Christian farewell on the threshold of eternity.
Christ is Risen! Nostis Psarras
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Columns of Gratitude Donations from 1.5.2015 to 31.7.2015
Donors’ name are published on printed edition only.
For God loves a cheerful giver 45
Donors’ name are published on printed edition only.
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Donors’ name are published on printed edition only.
License
This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (goo.gl/Q9uqXL). Similarly licensed works of the following creators were used on the respective pages:
4 Franck Vervial 10 John Abel 21 Benh Lieu Song 26 Steve Evans 27 WorldFish 31 United Nations Photo 33 Hendrik Terbeck 41 Giovanni Formenti 45 Alessandro Caproni 46 Jiya Aggarwal
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