11 • JUNE 2015
orthodox mission QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ORTHODOX MISSIONARY FRATERNITY
orthodox mission
Founded in 1963 Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria #11 April - June 2015 (gr229) Editor: Nostis Psarras Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius
IN THIS ISSUE 04 Wishes for a new Beginning 06 Tonga Islands 08 Indonesia 11 Congo (DRC) 14 Kenya 18 Guinea 20 Nigeria 22 Cameroon 26 Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam 29 South Sudan (Nubia) 33 Malawi 37 Holy Apostles Monastery 40 Saint Pasios & the Mission 42 Fr. Emmanuel Kamanya 45 Columns of Gratitude
Authors are responsible for their own articles. Owner:
Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
6, Mackenzie King st., Hagia Sophia sq. GR546 22 THESSALONIKI
2310 279910 fax. 2310 279902
http://orthodoxmission.org.gr communications @orthodoxmission.org.gr Registered Charitable Association Aim: Moral and material support for the worldwide Eastern Orthodox Missions Spiritual founder : Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos Founder
: Pantelis Bayas
Great Benefactor : P. Papademetracopoulos
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.
Board of Directors Demetrios Sotirkos Chairman Nostis Psarras Angeliki Arnaouti Charalampos Metallides Constantinos Metallides Evangelia Traicoudes Maria Cazamia Constantinos Caracolis Panagiotis Anastasiades
Vice chairman Secretary General Τreasurer Secretary Assistant Treasurer Assistant Member Member Member
Your love nourishes the children's hearts Orthodox Missionary Fraternity Serving your sensitivity since 1963
Patriarchal Wishes
Honorable Board members of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, beloved children in the Lord of our Mediocrity, grace and peace to you from God. With paternal joy we received your letter of the 21st January 2015, registry no 40, submitting your plans for the election of the new Board of your Fraternity to the Mother Church and us. In reply, through our prayerful Patriarchal letters written by his own hand, we thank you all for contacting us and keeping us informed, and we warmly congratulate all the esteemed members of the new Board on your well-deserved election, being certain that you want to continue offering your services to your Fraternity and in general to its sacred cause. For this reason, we sincerely invoke upon you and your holy ministry to the the Grace of God and His infinite mercy.
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for a new Beginning Registry No 22/2015 The Honorable President Mr. Demetrios Sotirkos & the Esteemed Members of the Board Orthodox Missionary Fraternity Thessaloniki
Honorable brothers, With much joy we have received your letter of the 21st January informing us about the composition of the new Board of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. Assuring you of the unfailing personal interest and the due Patriarchal consideration to issues pertaining to the promotion of the missionary efforts all over the African Continent, we extend our thanks and congratulations to all of you, and wholeheartedly pray that the Lord bestows upon you health, strength and every blessing in abundance for the accomplishment of your God-pleasing work. With paternal wishes and Patriarchal blessings
In the Great City of Alexandria 22 January, 2015
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PACIFIC ISLANDS
Resurrection of faith in Tonga islands All Hail! (Matt. 28: 1) It was the first word of the Risen Christ to the Myrrh-bearing women: a joyous message addressed to the troubled and afflicted by sin humanity—a message that is then delivered by the Apostles to the faithful of all time. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;” (II Thess. 5: 16-18) Before the coming of Christ, humankind lived under sin, which is a cause of sorrow. Faith in Christ and His Resurrection is a source of eternal joy and gladness. The preaching of the Gospel is indicative of its worldwide scope and conveys a universal message to all the nations. 6
Total salvation is acquired through the Sacrament of the Holy Baptism “in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church", the Orthodox and rightly dividing the word of truth. Our hearts overflow with wholehearted gratitude and thanksgiving to our Risen Savior the Lord Jesus Christ in His divine commandment "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). We have already celebrated the inauguration of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Saint Tabitha Orthodox Orphanage in Fiji. And now we are in the other territory of Tonga
islands making the necessary preparations for the foundation of the first Sacred Church of St. George the Great Martyr and Trophy-bearer. Only a few months after the first visit of an Orthodox missionary to this isolated island nation in the Pacific Ocean, the few Orthodox believers welcomed us back with love and thanksgiving to the Lord for the new church that His love gave them. We ensured legal transfer and full ownership of the plot, signed an agreement with the contractor and laid the foundation stone of the most remote church of this world. May the Lord bless and strengthen all the Orthodox Missionaries who are struggling all over the world despite the numerous difficulties and deprivations they
have to deal with. May He bless and sanctify all the subscribers and dedicators that often support the Missionaries and their work out of their poverty, comforting not only the indigenous faithful and catechumens but also every fellow human, who is suffering and lives in poverty or in pain. Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, shine with the light of Thy Resurrection on the people of our planet. Deliver them from the darkness of idolatry and deception, greed, injustice and hatred. Grant, O Lord, peace on earth to all mankind and let your Kingdom come in the hearts of all people, a Kingdom of holiness, love, justice, peace and joy. Christ is Risen! †Amphilochios of New Zealand
HE Bishop Amphilochios signs an agreement for the construction of St. George church in Tongatapu island
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INDONESIA
The Holy Pascha in our newly-planted Mission Dear Friends of the Mission, With God's help we are doing well! Thank God! I would like to write some news from our Mission in Indonesia. This year we celebrated Easter once more at our Mission center in Medan, i.e., the Holy Church of St. Demetrius. Believers from all our parish communities near the city of Medan, come to St. Demetrius from Holy Wednesday in order to attend the sacred services. We stay all together at the St. Paul Theological School, which is next to our church. They stay with us until Easter Sunday, when we conduct the Vespers of Love. Easter in Indonesia has no difference from Easter in the 8
Orthodox countries, simply because we learned Orthodoxy in Greece. On Palm Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy, we bless the palm leaves and hand them out to the faithful. On Palm Sunday evening we start the Monday Matins and sing the hymn “Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the midst of the night...� The services are quite similar until Holy Tuesday. On Holy Wednesday, Fr. Chrysostomos awaits the participation of the faithful in the Holy Confession. Once the confession ends, we begin the Unction. After the sacrament, a lady takes a cotton swab used in the Unction service to her home as a
blessing and kneads the prosphoro (communion bread) for the Holy Thursday morning service. On Holy Thursday evening we read the 12 gospels. What makes a great impression on the minds and hearts of everyone present is the priest crying with a loud voice: “Today, is hung upon the Tree…”. Such lofty messages indeed! As soon as the Crucifix is placed in front of the Beautiful Gate, the believers venerate the Holy Cross. In the evening the women begin to boil Easter eggs so as to bring them to the church at Easter. On Good Friday morning we read the Royal Hours. Immediately after that, the ladies decorate with flowers the Kouvouklion (i.e., the
canopy that represents the tomb of Christ). This great task takes three hours to be completed and requires a lot of patience. At 2:00 pm the Unnailing Service is taking place and then the faithful return to their homes to get some rest, because in the evening we will be conducting the Service of the Lamentations. This service is chanted by the whole flock. We are dressed in black and the women wear head coverings. People usually burst into tears, especially when the priest sprinkles the Epitaph of Christ. In the end, there is a procession of the canopy around the church, and this is how we finish the Good Friday Service. On Saturday, we perform the Divine Liturgy early in the morning.
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There are lots of things to enjoy in this Liturgy, e.g., the Song of the Three Children, or when the priest takes the leaves and chants “Rise up, O God, judge the earth…” The atmosphere is full of reverence. Next we have a short break and then we perform the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. This year on Holy Saturday we had seven catechumens who were baptized. Thanks be to God! At 11 pm, we commence the Resurrection Service with the Paschal hymn, “Come, receive the light ...” and sing in the church courtyard “Christ is Risen!” In the end, we get back into the church to continue the Paschal service.
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The highlight comes at the end of the Divine Liturgy, when the priest reads the Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom. At about one am, the service has finished. Then, some return to their home, while the younger ones continue to cook something good for all of us so that we can have a communal meal at noon before the Vespers of Love. And so, my beloved brethren, this is the way we celebrate the Paschal period here in Indonesia. We send lots of cordial greetings to all of you. Christ Is Risen. Wishing in the Lord, Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu
CONGO (DRC)
A medical clinic in the heart of the jungle Dear Friends of the Mission, I feel I should make you partakers of the delight of our native brothers of Shamana province for the completion of the construction work of the small medical clinic that was funded by a donor of Our Fraternity. Fr. Augustine with indigenous believers went to the forest with the chainsaw, which I had sent them, cut wood and built beds, tables, chairs, cabinets, doors, windows for the clinic. It was towards the end when they found out that their supplies in cement and nails had given out, and such things are rare in the forest villages. Naturally, they could not go on with their work. They notified us, and we had to send them new supplies from Kinshasa. This is
the point where the struggle of the Mission starts. The materials traveled for two months into the river in order to reach the nearest town, Ilebo. Once we learned that the cargo had reached the town, we notified them and they went to collect the 30 bags of cement and nails that we had sent by riverboat. An indigenous group went for the collection in their canoes. They had been traveling in the river for a week before they reached Ilebo, where they received them and took the road back home. Those materials would be used for paving the floor and finishing the bed construction. Our little building was about to finish. At that point it had to be equipped with mattresses, bed-sheets, pillows, 11
medicines, medical instruments. A new struggle was about to begin. The natives were happy and tried to show us their joy in every possible way. We were happy too and praised God for that blessing. It is not easy to build something so far away, where there are neither cars to convey materials, nor rudimentary roads. Soon they would have their own clinic, their medicines, their nurse, their doctor and would not die helpless on the way, or within the canoes trying to reach the nearest doctor. I remember, in that tour, when after an eventful journey through the river Sankuru we reached Shamana, in the depths of the Congo, where white people had never been before, the joy of the natives when
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they saw us. The children wanted to come close to me, touch my hands, my beard, and then, they ran to their mothers exclaiming with enthusiasm: "He is like us!" The old men thanked me for giving them the chance to see before dying what the whites look like. The believers were singing: "The Orthodox Church is the only true Church, here is our Bishop, here is our father; where are you all who are saying that our Church does not exist?" I still recall the way they got out through the woods to welcome us, how enthusiastically they came down to the river banks to greet us. I remember the evening when we sat under a big tree and started discussing with the village chief and the tribal leaders of the region;
Our clinic in Shamana, Congo (DRC)
among other things, they expressed their feelings of concern and sorrow for their people who fell ill, " Old men and our children get sick, and until we take them to the nearest clinic, which is a few days away on foot or in canoes, they have died on the way." Their words of pain made me cry. I felt guilty. It really hurt when I was told: "We do not want anything else, just help us to have our medical clinic.“ In order to show me their love, outside the hut where I stayed the night, they spent the whole night dancing and singing around the campfire. I could not get what I had heard out of my mind that night. Now they are dancing; if they fall ill tomorrow, what will happen to them? They will die on the way to the nearest clinic. I looked at them and my eyes were filled with tears.
At dawn, as I was leaving, I made a promise to them: "I will do everything in my power; pray for it to God and He will help." When, after a three-week tour in the depths of the Congo, I returned to Kinshasa, I contacted the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. I told them about the feelings of anguish and pain of our brothers from Shamana and the donor was found; therefore, today we can be proud of our little clinic. God bless the donor. May God help our little clinic so that it will soon be equipped with medicines and medical-surgical instruments. Then, it will be able to offer medical assistance to our brothers there in the depths of the Congo so that they won’t die helpless anymore. † Nikiphoros of Central Africa
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ΚΕΝΥΑ
The taste of vinegar The more the soul of man is deprived of material goods, the more God strengthens her and prepares her for a spiritual exaltation and a life of bliss, peace and innocence. One can see that the struggle of this soul is a spiritual exercise, despite its looking tired, weary and miserable. In the end, she enters into that euphoria of exuberant humility and unspeakable joy. It is worth stressing that excess food intake usually makes us slaves of our bodies -because we believe that the more weight we gain, the safer and healthier we will be. But alas! In fact, the opposite happens. We will suffer from obesity, which ultimately makes us feel sluggish, sick and unhappy. 14
But unfortunately we are slaves to our passions out of conviction and stubbornness, believing that everything related to the physical part of our existence is the most important of all things. However, this is not what actually happens. We are deprived of the unique and irreplaceable spiritual nourishment that is provided to us through our participation in the Sacraments of the Church, by means of which we are sanctified and born again. Only at this moment are we made worthy of receiving illumination and seeing the light that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. Daily in our Mission area we live real, authentic moments from the early Christian days. We preach
the Gospel of our Christ, especially to the humble and innocent souls of young children. Here the Orthodox faith is taught through education, cultivation, which brings together academic knowledge and religion. It is at the school that is housed in the courtyard of the Metropolis that 450 children from poor families gather daily. Probably most of them have no parents, or live with only one parent, usually the mother. Poor little creatures! One might think and say without a second thought: miserable. But there
is something valuable in this misery: a hidden treasure. Daily we experience their pain and try to help them as much as we can in order to soothe it and alleviate their suffering. Among them there are plenty of children who stand out for their seriousness, diligence and devotion to Christ and Orthodoxy. This age is the best and most reliable point of reference. One of these children is Paul. He is a charismatic boy. If you see him, you may think that he is a fool for Christ’s sake, as he is dressed
HE Archbishop Makarios in a group baptism
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in rags and is untidy in his appearance due to the extreme poverty that plagues his country. He lives with his mother, who, in order to raise him, has set up a small vegetable stall off the road, right at the entrance of our Patriarchal School. Of course, the little money she earns is barely enough to make ends meet. We, on our part, help by providing free of charge schooling and two meals, breakfast and lunch. This little boy, among other qualifications, has an incredible aptitude for learning and is a top student at school. He is never absent from the daily liturgical celebrations, conducted day and evening at the church of Hagia Sophia. He also has a wonderfully
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delicate voice, and he is only eleven years old. He usually chants in the choir of seminarians and everyone marvels at his excellent knowledge of musical sounds. He is delighted because he seems to know better than us the secret of true happiness. One day, after the Vespers service, he followed me to my office and started bombarding me with questions about Christ and Orthodox Christianity in general. As we were talking, I noticed that he was pondering over my answers. Very seriously he told me about his plans in life and his intention of becoming a priest and a great theologian, which is why he wanted to be properly prepared. Our conversation
was continued and the young boy seemed satisfied. I invited him to the kitchen to offer him something to eat, because I realized that he was hungry. There were two bottles on the table, one of which was containing oil and the other vinegar. Then he asked: —What is there in that bottle? —It’s vinegar, which is used to make foods tastier. —I have never seen it in my life. —We use it quite often for therapeutic purposes as well, and in such cases we mix it with soil. Looking puzzled, he said: —So if I understood correctly, this is the vinegar that was given to Christ when he was on the Cross,
isn’t it? —Yes, exactly that. —Can I try it? —Of course. Then I filled a teaspoon with vinegar and he tasted it. From his reaction it was obvious that he did not like the taste. At that point he made the following comment: «I thought it would be good to know how Jesus felt when He was given it. I wanted to see myself what a hard time the Lord went through that terrible moment, when He was on the Cross. Now I understand how much pain He must have felt and how much He must have suffered». † Makarios of Kenya
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GUINEA
A life and death struggle Dear Mr President, Christ is Risen! I would like to congratulate you on your well deserved election to the position of the President of the Fraternity and continuator of the noble work which originated with Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos and to which the late Panagiotis and Elli Papadimitrakopoulos dedicated their whole life. I want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me to visit the Fraternity on Sunday, May 10 and talk about the course of missionary work in West Africa, and also present the book dedicated to the late Patriarch Petros VII. The event was indeed magnificent and worthy of the memory of the late Patriarch. 18
I would like to inform you that here in Guinea we are struggling to support the victims of the Ebola virus through food distribution and medical relief. Our Holy Metropolis is the worst affected by the epidemic and the only one that has been afflicted for 1.5 years now. One of the major problems we face in Guinea is the lack of clean and running water. This lack contributes a lot to the transmission of the deadly Ebola virus since continuous hand- washing is the best protection against the virus. There is an urgent need for the people of at least two areas of the city of Kindia to be given God’s gift of access to clean water. I visited
these places during my last pastoral visit, and needless to say, my presence in the region was regarded as a commitment for response to our desperate fellows’ request for help. Moreover, it is necessary to distribute soap and other antiseptic liquid for protection from Ebola. To achieve the above we need about 5,000 euro, and you are the only ones that are so sensitized and touched by our work and always respond positively and promptly to our requests. Despite the difficulties, we continue the construction work of the Church of Sts. Parthenios and
Charalambos in Guinea, for which your Fraternity participated in the land purchase but we are still lacking 5,000 euro. Moreover, a pending project is the construction of the Orthodox Academy on the same site. For the completion of the ground floor with 3 classrooms, staff room and library, 10,000 euro is required. It would be a great blessing to find a noble donor who could fund and support these projects, which will be the testimony of our Orthodox faith in this Muslim country. †Georgios of Guinea
On Sunday May 10 with great emotion our Fraternity welcomed at its events hall the presentation of the book “Patriarch Peter VII, the Visionary Patriarch” by His Eminence Metropolitan George of Guinea .The late spiritual shepherd of Africa was very dear to everyone, gave special attention to the Mission and laid the foundations for the outstanding growth which we are experiencing nowadays. May his memory be everlasting and eternal.
Honorary Visit of the late Patriarch Peter of Alexandria and All Aftica to our Fraternity in 2003
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NIGERIA
Our School in Central Nigeria Dear Friends of the Mission, Rejoice in the Lord! I am writing to express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for your continued support to the work of our Mission in Nigeria. I would not hesitate to say openly that despite the objective difficulties whatsoever, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity has always been a major supporter of our efforts- one of the few left, rendering a hand of assistance to our local Church. Once again, you have proved your sensibility by undertaking to fund the completion of the construction of the Nursery and Primary School of our Mission in the village of Karmen in Benue State with the amount of 19,000 euro. On March 28 an important 20
event took place in the country: its presidential elections. So, after the end of the pre-election period, we got down to work in order to complete the construction of the building before the beginning of the rainy season. With much effort, through unforeseen difficulties, the wall work has been completed and roof work has begun. We hope and pray to God that, shortly before the rains begin, the building will be ready externally and able to accommodate 400 pupils, who walk daily over 10 kilometers to learn the basic skills of literacy at the only school in operation in the region. As you know, classes are held under thatched roofs and the rains will create major
problems for the proper functioning of the school. The other day, we had an accident with the vehicle that was carrying sand and cement. Travelling through the jungle, the small truck skid off the road and overturned, resulting in the load being spilled among the trees. This incident cost us a two-day delay and a great deal of effort, since the materials had to be collected and transported to the village. We pray to God for warmhearted donors who will cover the remaining â‚Ź24,000 needed for completing the school externally and internally as well as buying the necessary equipment. Therefore, we
appeal to your readers for their contribution in order to be able to accommodate the dreams of the children's souls in this refugee area. At this point, I would like to thank once again your Fraternity for continuing to assist and support the Mission in Gboko town and the missionary there, Fr. Andrea Ioraver, as well as our deacon Fr. James Nwaba with his studies at the University of Lagos. Without your annual support, none of this would have been possible. With friendly greetings and paternal love †Alexandros of Nigeria
The construction goes on...
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CAMEROON
In the silence of the desert Easter Friday. Northern Cameroon – Chad. On the border. Desert. In anticipation of the rainy season. The heat is unbearable. A little child - the 22nd of his father, the 8th of his mother. Sick – Its large black eyes wide open, a swollen abdomen due to constipation caused by malnutrition. The sweat is dripping off, or rather pouring down its ghastly pale face like clots of blood. The affectionate mother stood by her little child as much as a real mother can do, or as the indigenous people say, ”the child got his mom’s scent” This is a phrase they use when they want to say that a mother stood by, looked after and expressed all her love and tenderness to her newborn. Next to her a vessel - an overturned pumpkin 22
with geometric and archaic patterns full of water. The mother took a handful of water and sprinkled it over the infant's face just as St. John the Baptist touched the top of the head of our Master Jesus Christ. Utter silence reigned: the absolute, total quiet of the desert. She was standing under a tree, under the shade of an acacia tree. I was impressed by seeing acacia trees in the desert. Tree branches make the wronged bitter man cool off. The shade of the acacia tree cools off the innocent infant, which Herod’s sickness condemned to death, since the dominance of the Europeans hampers true development and deprives this little angel, whose mother is holding it in her arms, of the drug or the vaccine.
She had come here after having walked 20 kilometers through the night. How was she able to find her way through the darkness caused by the tree shadows?! It was 5 am -at the crack of dawn- when she reached the Orthodox Mission Medical Center in Katrang, which was created by the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. The love of people known and unknown to God had secured in this region an oasis for this mother, who was clutching her treasure in her arms almost lifeless. The doctor came up in the "Mercedes". The “Mercedes” is a bike without lights –at night it has a tin with candles– with pedals and a chain greased with fish fat. There are no roads – only footpaths walked on by thousands of barefoot
people. The mother was waiting patiently when the door opened; it was their turn. Diagnosis: malaria. Serum-drugs for three consecutive days. At last, a sign of improvement: a flicker of breath. The infant’s eyelids still shut but it managed to suck a little milk from the mother's dry breasts. The mother was there, and so were her protective arms. It was very hot and the food was scanty. But the mother was still there and the child’s belly was not bloated anymore, relieved from constipation. Thank God, the little angel had been saved. All the brothers there, overwhelmed with mixed emotions, kissed the child and praised God. Fr. Evangelos Papanicolaou Priest & Doctor
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A neighborhood of strawhuts in Congo (DRC) 25
TANZANIA
Love doesn’t seek its own way By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greetings of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II and the alert attention of His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrios of Irinoupolis, we are continuing our efforts for the evangelism of our brothers there and their relief from the difficult reality they are experiencing, particularly the children. However, we are deeply convinced that the children in the missionary center of Iringa region have milk to drink and vitamins to take only thanks to your loving support. You, the blessed children of the Church of Christ who lead your life by practicing His words and ex26
ample, not only care about fulfilling your own needs, but open your heart and arms and embrace these poor children of Iringa and bring them close to you as if they were your own. Continue, my brethren, this noble fight of love for the least brothers of Christ so that you can hear on the day of the final and fair judgment, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, naked and you clothed me." At this point we would like to inform you about our two priorities: The first concerns a very poor village of Iringa called Msisina. It is there that we have built the sa-
cred church of St. Christodoulos and drilled a borehole so that the inhabitants can have access to a continuous source of clean and safe drinking water. In order to understand the magnitude of their needs, it suffices to say that due to lack of water it was not possible for them to keep any type of livestock. After the drilling, they expressed through heartfelt manifestations their gratitude to His Eminence Demetrios during his recent pastoral visit and beseeched him to do everything possible so that they could have a primary school because their chil-
dren are obliged to walk about fifteen kilometers daily in order to learn the basic skills and not remain illiterate. But many children are unable to make this tedious and sometimes dangerous trip due to weather conditions; therefore, they remain illiterate. Dear valued partners of our efforts, at this point, allow us to inform you that the school construction cost is estimated at â‚Ź30,000. The second thing we would like you to know is that the ten thousand copies of the New Testament in the Swahili language, project which you kindly funded,
Fr. Photios gives out morning beverage
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have already been distributed. This means that ten thousand families have at home the saving Word of Christ and can study it and get the living water, which will become in them the spring of water gushing up to eternal life. As you can see, my beloved brothers in Christ, the goal we have set as missionaries, which we believe is your own goal as well since you are our valuable partners, is for every newly illuminated Christian family to have at home a free copy of the New Testament as a valuable legacy. We estimate that
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five thousand euro will enable us to fulfill this goal. Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your fervent assistance in our struggle and we pray that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself out of love for us, will give you a hundredfold blessing in return for what you offer to the field of Overseas Mission and, most important of all, grant you eternal life. The Chancellor Arch. Photios Chatziantoniou
HE Metropolitan Demetrios oversees a soup kitchen
SOUTH SUDAN
Miracles work through faith and patience
Fulfill your ministry (II Timothy 4:5) By the Grace of God and the blessings of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Theodore II, I set out on Easter Tuesday on a journey to the capital of South Sudan that was meant to hold a lot of pleasant surprises mixed with plenty of difficulties. First of all, the rainy season has started in South Sudan and malaria is on the rise due to mosquito bites, which multiply during this period. Naturally, I would not stay on the sidelines myself , since every inch of my body –whether it be hands or feet– was bitten despite the protective measures which are known to everyone. In any case, not contract-
ing malaria is indeed a miracle, and such a miracle was accomplished in me. Thank God! Then, the almost incessant rainfall on a practically non-existent road network made our moving from one place to another seem like Calvary. You set out for a particular destination planning to fulfill a mission, which anywhere else on this planet would take two hours at most, but here in this place it takes a whole week. It is considered an achievement to bring a job to a successful completion, especially when this job is related to civil services in Africa; however, the miracle happened! 29
The recognition procedure of the Orthodox Church from the State of Southern Sudan has been completed, therefore we have become an active member of the Southern Sudan Church Council (SSCC). I cannot hide the joy and satisfaction I feel as well as the personal need for praising God’s name and glorifying Him, which, apart from the effort we made for the preparation required, God showed the right persons at that critical moment for a faster and more effective completion of the procedure to reach the desired result of recognition within a few months, which under different circumstances would take years.
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Another big surprise awaited me, when I arrived in Wau town and headed for our parish community, where I was welcomed at the door of the Prophet Elijah church by the faithful, who were holding the Greek flag in their hands. I was wondering how people, who had never visited Greece and might not even know its location on the map, had been able to understand the symbolism of holding the Greek flag in a distant foreign land and feeling Greek. History though shows that this is what Hellenism has always been, cities scattered throughout the world and not trapped in a geographical place,
which proves its anthropocentric character and makes it known as an ecumenical culture. The first example is shown, however, by the Church, since Orthodoxy does not remain trapped in a place and its people but it opens itself, goes into the whole world, seeking man, wherever he is and offers him the possibility of meeting with God without constraint, and also it creates sacred churches (as the meeting places of God and man) scattered around the world, demonstrating the universality of this faith, which lives in harmony within nations and states but has never been a nation or state Itself ; it has always
been the Kingdom of God’s love. The next day I conducted the Paschal Divine Liturgy and baptized four young children. At the end of the sermon I stressed that for us Orthodox Christians the experience of God in the world is the life of the Church through its sacraments. Τhen, we had a meal all together and after that, I showed them pictures of my first visit to them, which gave them much joy given that there is neither TV nor cinema there. When I returned to Juba, the capital city, I visited and met with the tribal chief of the Magala region, the Sultan (King) Tarcisio, and thanked him for the donation of the
Καταυλισμός προσφύγων πρωτεύουσα Juba του Νότιου Σουδάν 31 Refugeeστην Camp in South Sudan
four-acre land. I also assured him that their donation would return to the broader region with many benefits from the construction of the Saint Mark Mission Center, which would include obstetrics clinic and primary school. Thus, with the Church recognition and the land title settlement, we are starting the procedures for the submission of the architectural plans and the issuance of the building permit from the competent services for our mission center. The miracles of faith are also a product of patience of the people to whom the miracle occurs. It is there that faith is tested and man surrenders to God’s will. “For where God wills, the order of nature yields”,
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and this is our faith in our project in South Sudan, where after 38 years of ecclesiastical absence (due to the civil war), the Good God gave vitality to His Church. Just as the paralytic in the Pool of Siloam had to wait for this encounter with God for 38 years, so our brothers in South Sudan took 38 years in order to find the place of their meeting with God and their Church alive, and now they are moving towards a better future in their much-afflicted country. Please remember this longsuffering nation in your wishes and prayers so that God may grant His blessings upon them. Amen! † Bp. Narkissos Gammoh of Nubia
MALAWI
The joy of the Resurrection amid great difficulties Dear Friends of the Mission, Rejoice and exult at the joy of the Resurrection! Not only now that the Paschal bells are still ringing joyously in our ears but always as well … The reason why we are writing to you is to share with you our feelings about the trials and tribulations our Malawian brothers are currently going through due to extreme weather events that have hit the country this year. This year Easter came immediately after the devastating passage of a huge disaster that struck the country and left its mark on many homes. That incredible cataclysmic rainfall was followed by
many and varied agonizing efforts to eliminate the scars and heal the wounds… The death toll was high. Many people were killed. Far more were left homeless amid the ruins, not to mention the countless wrecked homes. Generally, the grief is great but the mobilization that followed is also moving… Various bodies, organizations, as well as the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, that is always by our side, when emergencies take place, are trying to help deal with the tragedy, each one in their own way and according to their abilities. Many of them are being involved in the reconstruction of the destroyed schools. Oth33
ers are supporting and treating the needy by hosting or transferring them to their relatives. Generally, everyone does their best. Our little mission could not remain inactive before this grief. So many are the needs in every parish and so meager are our abilities to care for all those seeking our help that we reach an impasse when we have few goods to distribute to many people in distress. We saw that the blankets are a valuable and indispensable good for the natives and the homeless, as the humidity at night is too high in relation to the heat of the day, but especially now that winter approaches, they are necessary for our brothers who spend the night in the mud hut. Our blankets were sought after!
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Our mission decided to distribute 500 blankets, which is why we appeal to all directions in order to collect them. Each blanket costs 12 euro. The more blankets we collect, the better for our brothers. Needless to say, feeling the warmth on the cold winter nights (in July and August), they will remember the donors and pray to the Most Merciful God for them. However, no matter how difficult it is here for our brothers in Malawi to deal with the sudden death of their own people, face the destruction of their house, be left orphaned or homeless overnight, it is just as common for them to leave the pain behind and throw themselves into the daily struggle, fight-
Children meal in the Orthodox Primary School
Giving out blankets
ing to survive with all their might. Therefore, despite all the biblical disasters that occurred and the different types of wounds that were opened in every home, the local parishes humbly continued their program; this way, every parish passed through the Great Lent to the Resurrection of Lazarus and through the solemn entrance into Jerusalem to the Passion Week. How touched are the souls of our African brothers by the solemn hymns of our Orthodox Church! How much our soul rejoices to see that all parishes are giving their own fight and with small steps year after year they experience and feel deeper inside the principal truths of our faith! And of course the joy of the Resurrection comes and re-
deems all of us who humbly went along the path of our Lord’s Holy Passion. How fulfilling the Resurrection is! This is something that we all live within the Church even though words are inadequate to express it. But one cannot help noticing how happy everyone is, especially the newcomers into our faith, when they take the red-dyed eggs and knock them together and laugh. And how joyful is the paschal meal every parish offers to all of its parishioners, who gather and eat all together and rejoice, as happened in the first years of our Church with the “agapae”, i.e., the early Christian love feasts. This year, thanks to the generous offer of a donor, a large truck 35
brought sacks of flour to each parish and “they did all eat and were filled and rejoiced and exchanged the Paschal greeting”. Also, thanks to the same donor, there were hundreds of eggs that were distributed, which the natives have learned to dye in their own way, and they knock them together and exclaim “Kristu Auka” and answer “Zuuna di Auka." Brethren, our feelings are mixed, like the events that surround us! Thus happy events are tied to sad and joyful to sorrowful. But believe us that this daily agony is our salvation as well. It is this pain that protects us from spiritual slips and falls as well as our deviations from the redemptive path we all long for, which leads to our Creator through our fellow man. It is through the hardships and sorrows that each one of us leaves
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their comfort and sets out on the journey to eternity, which we are created for. For we should always bear in mind that no matter how much security a settled and without tribulations life inspires, it does not cease to be a part of the eternal life which has been made for us and which our Lord Jesus Christ taught us through His Passion, Sacrifice and Resurrection and showed us that it is there awaiting us … I pray fervently that we can achieve this goal all of us in unison by working with all our strength in order to alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings; only this way can we be made worthy of getting closer to Him who we so deeply believe in and love. Amen! Rejoice, brethren, for Christ is Truly Risen! Fr. Ermolaos from Malawi
Ένα πηγάδι ζωής από την πηγή της καρδιάς σας
The historical background of the monastery in Kolwezi, Congo (DRC) “History teaches us that it is from monasteries that sprang up all church missions, and that missionaries founded monasteries wherever they traveled.” — Archimandrite George Capsanis
Since Orthodoxy is inconceivable without monasticism, in November 2006 the abbot of Gregoriou Monastery on Mount Athos, Archimandrite George, gave us a blessing-mandate: to celebrate a sarantaleitourgo at the monastery’s dependency of Saint George in Thessaloniki, and use the “revenues” from it for the establishment of a male monastery in Kolwezi, Congo (DRC). The Blessing Service of the foundation stone was celebrated by Bishop Meletios Gregoriate in September 2009, and in 2012 most
of the work was completed. In October 2012 the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore II, conducted the established Blessing Service during his missionary tour in the Congo. Fr. George commissioned the worthy monk Fr. Barnabas Gregoriate as the abbot of the new monastery, and prior to his departure on November 4, 2013, he blessed him, giving him inspired counsels. The enthronement took place on April 21, 2014 and already the Congolese monastery is run according to the “typikon” of Mount Athos with three indigenous novice monks. 37
Arch. George Capsanis participated in the divine life and love and, having experienced the “spiritual change in Christ”, he had accepted the global vision and the apostolic responsibility of the Orthodox Church in the modern world at the command of Christ “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt. 28: 19). This is why he believed that “Mission is the evangelism of those who have never met Christianity as well as the re-evangelism of those belonging to the Church in name only”, and considered it to be a need of the united to Christ soul, according to Paul’s maxim, “For if I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don’t preach the Gospel…” (I Cor. 9: 16) Fr. George could give “no sleep to his eyes or slumber to his eyelids” in order to contribute to the evangelism of our brothers, those living nearby, but also those afar, in the Congo. So in 1978, when the late hieromonk Cosmas Gregoriate (Aslanides) asked him to
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authorize his participation in the mission of Kolwezi, he pioneered as an Athonite abbot and immediately accepted his proposal, saying: “But go thou and preach the kingdom of God”(Luke, 9: 60) to our brothers in the Congo. And on the occasion of this event, he organized the missionary team for the city of Kolwezi, which he unfailingly directed until his last days. He said the same words to his successor hieromonk Meletios in 1989 and recently to hieromonk Barnabas, when he sent him to undertake the office of hegumen: “propagate the Word of God and hand down in the African land the spirit, the prayer and the life of the Holy Mount Athos”! The history of the modern missionary era will have a lot to record as regards the contribution of Gregoriou Monastery to the Congo, especially that of the prime mover of this God-inspired activity, the abbot Fr. George, because he renewed in our time the old missionary policy concerning the
Holy Apostles Monastery in Kolwezi
establishment of holy monasteries by contemporary missionaries. It would be a truly admirable and pious work, if the renewal of this policy were made by other monasteries as well –male and female–, which would allow some of their members to continue their sanctification in a brother monastery abroad. This would be the greatest, the most pious act of charity (a form of spiritual almsgiving) of the parent monastery to all the faithful brothers of our Church. This, in our humble opinion, would be a clear manifestation of our obedience to the Lord’s commandment, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” and of our belief in the contribution of monasticism to the
Church. The necessity of both is also confirmed by the establishment of 17 monasteries in North America. Some people say, “When your garden is thirsty, do not pour the water out.” But, my brothers, we must not forget that our garden is none other than the garden of Christ, and that according to the Orthodox teaching and worship, this garden is the whole world! Our wish, then, also wish of all missionary divisions, those that cannot find monks or nuns in order to start two monasteries in their diocese, is that the example of the late abbot George Capsanis should be followed and find many imitators… God grant it! Fr. Georgios Kuyumcoglu 39
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Saint Paisios
and the Orthodox Mission I was blessed to meet Saint Paisios, quite early, when he moved to Panagouda Cell of St. Panteleimon Skete. Through his ascetic struggles the Elder was given the divine gift of comforting people. When we finally discovered him, he provided us with spiritual support and consolation. With our spiritual company, we enjoyed walking on the blessed paths of the Garden of the Virgin Mary. We would often pass by his cell in order to see him and receive his simple but filled with divine grace counsels. In 1981, I visited the Missionary Divisions in Kenya and the warring Uganda. What I saw, heard and lived there filled me with excitement as well as anxiety about the spread of Orthodoxy among the nations. With my bag full of memories and photos from my missionary journeys, I visited Saint Paisios and shared with him those indelible experiences. Sensing my anxiety, the Elder told me: "What’s happening now is like having a watering can and
trying to water a whole field with it. But time will come when God will rain on his field and it will be irrigated." This prophetic testimony of the Saint gave me spiritual comfort because I realized that our Orthodox faith would be made known to all nations. In the year 2015, we already have new missionary divisions in areas where an Orthodox sermon had never been heard before. In India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, among the Mayan, Pygmy and Turkana tribes, people hear about Christ, believe in him and become heirs to the Kingdom of God. You can help the spiritual rain come faster. Pray that the Holy God will ignite the thirst for Truth in the nations and send out new laborers into the Mission field. Support the missionary efforts in Africa, Asia, Oceania and America. So that the whole world will bear spiritual fruit and every heart will flourish. Nostis Psarras 41
Fr. Emmanuel Kamanya, a new indigenous priest for Uganda My name is Emmanuel Kamanya, I am 27 years old, and I am the son of a priest of the Eastern Uganda. Our province is called Busoga and is located just 42 kilometers from the point where the River Nile stems. God made me worthy of being born in an Orthodox family. My father is a priest, so my nine siblings and I were brought up in the Orthodox spirit. The Orthodox Church is well known in Busoga. The people who have been to school know that the Orthodox Church is ancient and that it was founded by Christ Himself. They know that it is very old, although in Uganda it is only a century old. My personal story is long. My dad helped me to love the Church. As a child I went to the altar every Sunday. In the morning we woke up and cleaned the church, prepared the Zeon (hot water) and the holy 42
bread for the Holy Communion. I said to myself "I hope to be worthy of wearing my dad’s vestments myself some day." Thank God, now I have become a deacon and my wish has come true. I finished high school in Busoga and I went to Fr. John Kibuuka’s school in Bombo. It was far away from home and naturally I was very unhappy as I had to live separately from my family. But there I learned many things about the Church because Fr. John had lived and studied in Greece, so he knew everything and advised us on everything. In 2005, Patriarch Theodore came to Uganda and visited our village Nawango in Busoga. It was a great blessing for our people. When he came to the Sacred Church of St. James, I was in the altar again. The patriarch looked at me and smiled.
He spoke with Metropolitan Jonah and I did not understand what they were saying, but I felt that they were talking about me. In 2006, the Seminary of St. Athanasius was opened in Alexandria and the Patriarch asked the Metropolis to send five students. "But I have picked the first child myself," he said, "it is Manolis". So the visit of our Patriarch to Uganda was a major turning point in my life. Indeed, in 2007 I went to Alexandria for my theological studies. The Patriarch embraced me with paternal love. He said, "My son Manolis, you should learn Greek because I want you to go to Greece
for further studies." Thus, in 2010 I came to Greece and enrolled at the School of Theology. I have been studying there for four years, and this year in April God made me worthy of being ordained deacon by His Eminence Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis. My ordination put an end to my secular life and set the beginning of a new life. I can no longer wear the same clothes, or do what I did as a layman. In my ordination, the Holy Spirit came down on me and so I became a deacon. I feel that I minister to the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, what I once admired about my father.
Fr. Emmanuel and his wife with His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa
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Soon it will be time for me to go back to Uganda. I dream of building a large church in Kamuli in order to house our Orthodox community. We haven’t got many priests, so I am glad to be able to make up for the priest shortage there. The Orthodox Church in Uganda is quite mature. We have a lot of indigenous priests but we need to organize ourselves better so as to become selfsufficient. The hungry people come and ask for help from the hungry priest, who lacks so many things himself! With God’s blessing, if we have the opportunity, I would like to take some fields and put livestock there in order to create small farms
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so that we can have some source of revenue, which is absolutely necessary for ministry and charity. The Orthodox Church has a future in Uganda. Our country is large. We cannot succeed on our own. We will make other priests and catechists and prepare them to go deep into the country to preach, and may one day, by the Grace of God, Uganda be like Greece, that is, an entirely Orthodox country. At this point, I would like to say a big thank you to the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. Without you, I honestly do not know whether I would have managed to study. Deacon Emmanuel Kamanya
Our Orthodox school in Kamuli
Columns of Gratitude and heartfelt thanksgiving Donations from 1.3.2015 to 30.4.2015
Donors' names are published in printed edition only
For God loves a cheerful giver
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Donors' names are published in printed edition only
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Donors' names are published in printed edition only
Let's keep in contact this summer. Visit our fresh website with exclusive material at
orthodoxmission.org.gr
Attributions 8 Dan Barbus 14 Diana Robinson 26 David d'O 29 Rita Willaert 30 United to End Genocide 32 Amy the Nurse 45 Don McCullough
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