23 • MARCH 2018
orthodox mission QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ORTHODOX MISSIONARY FRATERNITY
orthodox mission
Founded in 1963 Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria #23 January-March 2018 Editor: Nostis Psarras Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius
In this Issue 04 06 09 10 12 13 14 17 21 26 29 34 36 40 43 44
Patriarchal Wishes Annual Report 2017 Financial Statement Pacific Islands Indonesia India Kenya - Nairobi Congo Brazzaville Madagascar Ghana Congo (DRC) - Kinshasa Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam Malawi Tanzania - Arusha I Do Not Forget Columns of Gratitude
You can give your love for the Orthodox Missions abroad via Paypal at paypal@ierapostoles.gr, by check or by deposit in our bank account:
ALPHA BANK • ΙΒΑΝ: GR93 0140 4050 4050 0200 2000 170 • BIC: CRBAGRAA Other bank accounts: omf.gr/ways-give/ An ofiicial receipt for your donation will be issued and mailed to you.
Authors are responsible for their own articles. Owner:
Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
6, Mackenzie King st., Hagia Sophia sq. 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
Board of Directors Charalampos Metallidis Chairman
Nostis Psarras Vice chairman Angeliki Arnaouti Secretary General Dimitrios Sotirkos Τreasurer Constantinos Metallidis Secretary Assistant Zenobios Iatrou Treasurer Assistant Evangelia Traikoudi Member Aikaterini Alexandrou Member
Prodromos Kalaitzidis
Member
Holy Pascha 2018 Χριστός Ανέστη • Christ is Risen • Христос воскрес! ¡Cristo ha resucitado! • Le Christ est ressuscité! • Kristo Amefufukka! Kristus telah bangkit! • Na Karisito tucake tale! • A Cristo ix pitz vi xi!
A New Beginning Νέο ξεκίνημα με
4
with Patriarchal wishes
5
Annual Report
2017 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may the new year be blessed and peaceful, As I did in the two previous years, 2015 and 2016, as a representative of the Board of Directors, I am going to give you a brief outline of the work we have done in 2017. Revenues 2017 Despite the ongoing financial crisis that has shaken up Greece, which, unfortunately, results from our people’s estrangement from the way of God, during 2017 we managed to collect 651,000 euro in donations, coming from nineteen countries. Expenses 2017 The total expenses reached the amount of 694,000 euro. Out of this, 473,000 euro was used to fund projects and programs of the missionary divisions, mainly in Africa. Moreover, four containers with 300 cubic meters of humanitarian aid were shipped 6
during 2017 from our warehouse in Philyron. We spent â‚Ź 80,000 for the fares and the purchase of some items. The humanitarian aid consisted of food supplies, such as legumes, pasta, oils, salt, flour and sugar, used clothing and footwear offered by our donors, office equipment, ecclesiastical utensils and others. The aforementioned remittances of 473,000 euro and the humanitarian aid of more than 80,000 euro was utilized for the following causes: church building, soup kitchens, drilling for water, operation of orphanages, equipment for community clinics, catechisms and baptisms, publishing of the New Testament in local languages, educational grants and others.. Other activities On the second Sunday of each month, we were gathered in the small church of Saint John the Forerunner to partake of the Divine Liturgy with reverence and solemn concentration that
filled our souls with the peace and joy that only Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God can dispense. After the church service, we assembled in our Fraternity’s hall, where we usually hosted a missionary as the main lecturer, who would recount the missionary events in the region of his ecclesiastical jurisdiction. By chronology, in 2017 we were visited by the following bishops and chief missionaries: In February we heard Fr. Kyriakos talk about the difficult conditions in Sierra Leone. In the same month we were also visited by His Eminence Athenagoras of Mexico and the Carribean. In March, speaker was His Eminence Nikiforos of Kinshasa, who thanked for the two 50-ton-containers we had sent in December 2016 with food supplies for the students of the Theological School of Kinshasa, whose education sponsorship has been undertaken by our Fraternity. In April, we hosted His Eminence Narkissos of Accra, while in May, our guest, Bishop Demetrios of Irinoupolis talked about the multiple problems of the Ortho-
dox Mission in his jurisdiction but also referred to its wondrous results. In June, we received Fr. Chrysostomos Maidones, visiting missionary in Congo (DRC) and heresy expert, and Fr. Polycarpos of Aghia Anna, who returned from Tulear after being treated for malaria. Similarly, we were visited by His Eminence Innocentios of Burundi and Rwanda. In August, we gladly received His Eminence Amphilochios of New Zealand and Oceania. In October, Fr. Porphyrios, Chancellor of the diocese of Arusha, spoke on behalf of His Grace Agathonicos, who contracted malaria, typhoid and pneumonia at the same time, talked about the many sorrows of our evangelized African brothers but also referred to their great joys. In November, His Eminence Meletios of Katanga vividly expounded on the state of the Mission in his diocese. Finally, in December 2017, as the last speaker of the year we called in the indigenous missionary of distant Indonesia, Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu, Church building Two new churches funded by our Fraternity reached comple7
tion: the Ascension of the Savior church in Tulear, Southern Madagascar, and Saint George church in Tonga, Southern Pacific. Furthermore, there are two more churches being built: the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Cameroon and Saint John the Theologian in Arusha, Tanzania. Real estate By virtue of the will of late Aphrodite Porligki, the Fraternity accepted the inheritance of three pieces of property lying in Thessaloniki, two apartments and one office. We also accepted a flat in Ormos Panagias, Sitho-
nia, Chalkidiki, bequeathed by the deceased Evangelos Kaplanidis. Publicity for the Fraternity The Fraternity publicizes its work on the web and through direct mail. Every quarter, it publishes this magazine in print, which reaches 8,000 readers in Greece and abroad. In the year 2017, 32,000 copies of it were sent, which results from the unceasing efforts of the editorin-chief, Mr. Nostis Psarras. Dimitrios Sotirkos Past Chair of the Board
New Board of Directors The General Assembly of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity members convened on 28 January, 2018, and elected a new Board of Directors, as follows: • • • • •
8
Chairman: Charalampos Metallidis Vice-Chairman: Nostis Psarras Secretary General: Angeliki Arnaouti Treasurer: Dimitrios Sotirkos Members: • Evangelia Traikoudi • Aikaterini Alexandrou • Konstantinos Metallidis • Zinovios Iatrou • Prodromos Kalaitzidis
Financial Statement
9
PACIFIC ISLANDS
Joys and Sorrows in the Mission
Mission is a complex matter. Once a person decides to join it, he feels joy. He starts imagining the places and countries where he will go to convey the message of the Gospel, a message of Resurrection and joy. He imagines the people he will go to in order to preach, their habits, and many other things he has heard and read about. Equipped with the blessing of the Metropolis where he will go to sow the seed of the Gospel, he finds himself wherever God calls him to be. Suddenly the whole scenery in a missionary’s life changes: other places, another language, other climate conditions, other people. With the two wings of faith and love he slowly begins to fly. The first catechumens fill with joy not only his own soul but also the souls of his
10
partners and associates. This joy is fulfilled with the acquisition of the first Orthodox priest and the first Sacred Church, which can be a hut made from wood and grass. But the Holy Cross, the symbol of Christian faith and hope, has been set up and everything around is sanctified. It is impossible to describe the joys coming from the first baptisms in the lakes and rivers and the first Christian weddings with crowns made of flowers and twigs. And the Mission work is moving forward‌ Joys come along with sorrows. Being very poor, the indigenous people expect Mother Church to provide for everything. They are not accustomed to meeting their needs and solving the problems that occur on their own. These people are forbearing and always smiling. They
cannot understand or appreciate the value of offering, nor can they express any form of gratitude for whatever is offered to them. This is something which is particularly tiring for the missionaries who are close to them and all the others who help behind the lines in every possible way and at great sacrifice. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Nonetheless, missionaries are patient and pray for their children, that is, the newly-illumined Orthodox, the Churches, the Monasteries, and whatever sacred institutes God has permitted to be made, since these must continue to exist in order to advance the work of the Church with the blessing and grace of God. When about forty people are heard in church chanting and singing with one heart and one voice
the hymn “We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit...”, deep emotion fills his soul and he clearly sees that no effort has been lost. It is with the same feelings that his heart overflows when he sees the native priest filled with sacred emotion and with tears of devout reverence interrupt the Divine Liturgy and work miracles healing sick and possessed people by the grace of the Holy Cross. Then the missionary, along with the assembly of the newly-illumined Orthodox brothers, sings «Blessed be the Name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore», thanksgiving and praising the Savior of mankind, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is above all and His grace regulates everything. From the Holy Metropolis
Bishop Amphilochios with Fr. Bartholomew in Fiji
11
INDONESIA
Dreams for the Mission Dear Friends of the Mission, I pray to the Good God to give you health and joy over the course of your life. Now here in Indonesia we had the beginning of the school year. It is a few years since we started accommodating in our home 15 children, all of whom go to school and need money for their fares, tuition fees and food. This is why we ask for your prayers so that these children can continue their studies uninterruptedly this year. Father Chariton from Nias Island is doing well. There we have three parish communities, far away from each other. As we only have one chalice, when we have a liturgy to perform, we carry it with us. Naturally, due to the fact that we priests have to go from place to place and use it 12
a lot, this chalice has begun to ruin. Father Luke has the same problem in Sumbul, which has two communities, but only one chalice and one censer. As you can see, dear brothers in Christ, things are really hard, so we need your help in relation to this matter. Fr. Epiphanios Chatzigiagkou wrote a nice book titled ÂŤOur Orthodox FaithÂť, which is brief and concise and can be used in the Mission. With the blessing of Father Epiphanios I have translated this book into Indonesian, but the printing costs are estimated at about 7,500 euro, which we could not afford by any means. That is all our news, my beloved brothers. Please, pray and ask our good God to strengthen us. Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu
INDIA
Concern of Love Dear brothers in Christ, May you have a good and blessed Great Lent. I am really happy to communicate with you to let you know that I received the financial aid of 4,900 euro. This amount of money will be used to meet the immediate needs of our brothers. We must, if possible, keep our five clinics running. It is a source of hope and consolation for the sick, about whom the Orthodox Mission is greatly and constantly concerned. Also, with this donation you support the operation of two orphanages, a male and a female one, for which I envisage a great future in the society. Every day I have to deal with the feeding problem of our poor broth-
ers. Among them there are blind, disabled, children, elderly, who lack basic necessities and cannot survive without help. I could not possibly thank enough the donors of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. I am so touched by their support that I cannot hold back my tears. May all of you be blessed. Tomorrow lies in the hands of God. I hope His love does not abandon us, and the miracle continues in this distant country to the glory of His Holy Name and the salvation of souls. May you have a blessed Easter! With love in Christ Sister Nektaria 13
KENYA - NAIROBI
Love Feast Dear brothers in Christ, “For unto you is born this day a Saviour”. With these words of joy and gladness, I would like to make you once again partakers of our long continued offering of a Christmas “meal of love” and gifts to more than five hundred children of our kindergarten and elementary school as well as of our poor neighborhood, which lacks even the basic essentials since people, especially children, live in conditions of unimaginable misery and deprivation. The birth of the Savior and Redeemer of the world reminds us 14
once again that He came to earth as the poorest of men, though he was to become the King and Master of the visible and the invisible world. This God incarnate came to earth to save us, but at the same time to teach us. The God of love and peace was born in a stable as a humble servant, without any grandeur or glory. He taught us from then on that we should live simply and humbly so we can resemble Him, imitate Him, communicate with Him and become one with Him. This poverty He was born in opens up new perspectives and orientations. St. Paul, the Apostle to the Nations, explains so
eloquently saying: «though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”. (2’ Corinthians 8: 9) It is in this spirit that every year here in our premises we invite for a communal meal, a love feast with us all the orphans and the poor, unprotected children to show them that our Church as well as her founder, Jesus Christ Himself, have always been a friend of the poor. It is an opportunity that is offered with genuine concern and brotherly love so that everybody can feel that we are a family and can experience the warmth of accepting this reality. We may be poor, but we enrich ourselves with the grace of God,
since we can share what we have with them. This unique love for our neighbor, the least of our brothers, who is none other than Christ Himself, fills everyone’s heart with hope, faith, affability, solidarity, acceptance, and humility. That is why I am writing to you today, to make you partakers of this authentic love of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, since you so eagerly responded to our request by sending us the amount of five thousand euro for the food program of our poor and orphaned children, as well as for the Christmas love feast. So, we would like to thank you wholeheartedly and assure you that we will always keep you in our hum-
15
ble prayers and supplications to the Most High, so that He strengthens you richly and benevolently to His glory and to the glory of His Church. You cannot imagine how many tired and thirsty souls this love offering of yours has helped and has strengthened both materially and spiritually. We will be eternally grateful to you. The relevant receipt for the money we received is attached to this letter. Allow me to add that I have not forgotten your irrepressible zeal for ministry to the Orthodox Mission to the nations since 1963. I would also like to add that the spiritual founder of your Fraternity, the late missionary Fr. Chrysostomos
16
Papasarantopoulos, was the person who inspired me and lit up the missionary path of my life with his blessing. No matter how many obstacles and difficulties occur, the work of the Evangelization will be continued under any circumstances. The power of God’s presence on this path of ours strengthens and supports us and opens new ways and prospects. What needs to be done on our part is deep and sincere repentance and prayer, humility and faith, obedience to the will of God. Once again we wholeheartedly thank you. Least among Bishops, †Elder Makarios
CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
The Orthodox of Nkayi Await My beloved brothers, With the mercy of Almighty God, we are able to communicate with you from the distant Congo-Brazzaville, the country intersected by the equator and washed by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, in order to express the wholehearted thanks of the local Church to all of you, the honorable brothers, for your valuable assistance through the «Orthodox Missionary Fraternity» to the laborious missionary work that takes place in this corner of the African land. The meeting of our Lord the Savior and Redeemer, which is not symbolic but real, takes place at the Holy Grail, in the Eucharistic Syn-
axis. Therefore, through the Divine Liturgy, all of us the Orthodox faithful under Heaven without exception participate in the Life of Christ, and by partaking of His Body and Blood, we are inseparably united with each other, members of the One, Holy, Indivisible, Catholic Orthodox Church. “Having asked for the unity of the faith, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God”! The place predominantly dedicated to the celebration of the Divine Eucharist has always been the church. The church, which at the same time stands for heaven! This reference is found in virtually all the
17
Holy Fathers’ speeches pronounced at the consecration services of big and great churches. It was these outstanding churches that many people from all over the world rush to in order to participate in the consecration service. Undoubtedly, there were also small churches, for which perhaps some inscription on the lintel or some other point gives us little historical information today. However, these humble sacred havens are also heaven! Eventually, one can understand that it is the Sacred Mystery that makes them heaven, not the greatness, the precious materials or the size. Nor is there any vague glory that they want to represent, but it is the glory that they actually experience! In Congo-Brazzaville, the Grace
18
of God blessed the establishment of seven parish communities with corresponding churches, three of which are still unfinished (Saint Demetrios Cathedral, S. Church of St. Fotini, S. Church of the Savior’s Transfiguration ). From the Churches that are still unfinished, at the Cathedral of St. Demetrios and at the Parish Church of St. Fotini, the work goes on slowly but steadily due to the perseverance and sacrificial offer of our indigenous brothers. However, this is not the case with the Parish Church of the Savior’s Transfiguration, which is located in Nkayi, the fourth largest city in the state, whose poor inhabitants are mainly engaged in sugar production. This particular Parish Community cannot even meet the current monthly
expenses of its church (rental of the rectory, electricity bills, purchase of oil and altar wine as well as flour for the preparation of holy bread). The remaining construction work amounts to a total of 20,000 euro, according to the current budget. Unfortunately, the cost of living there is three times the equivalent of our country, since all goods are imported through the Atlantic Ocean, and the local Church, which runs and maintains a model orphanage, a school and a radio station, could not afford the above amount by any means ... Dear brothers in Christ, the Orthodox Mission here is in need of the creation of sacred churches,
since the number of the Congolese who discover Orthodoxy «which has grace and power,» as they say when they first appear before us, is growing, but they do not find a place to worship true God and be taught the unmistakable faith, so as to become bright candles for the rest of their compatriots. In addition, the states of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon are particularly plagued by emerging religious movements and neo-Protestant organizations of American origin, by heresy and deception, by arbitrariness, superstition and fears cultivated by religious leaders of traditional faiths aiming at the people’s manipulation through their illiberality. The necessity of
19
setting up churches raises a spiritual alarm! Without the worship of God, everything is done in vain, precisely because every work is of value when it is sanctified. Besides, since the earliest Christian years we see that the place of worship and celebration of the Divine Liturgy has been a fixed point of reference among the early Christians. It was in those holy places that the Apostles performed the Divine Liturgy, and the faithful partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the legacy of Orthodoxy. If the purpose of the Church is the sanctification of man, then, according to the words of our Lord, no one can claim that they have been
20
saved by Christ, that they are in the bosom of the Church, that they have lived their personal resurrection, while they turn their back on those who Christ calls “the least” of His brothers. My beloved brothers, help complete and build churches so that more Orthodox bells ring, the demonic darkness is dissolved and the Light of Christ shines “ before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. For a Church without fervent faith and devotional love is inconceivable! With gratitude and love in Christ † Panteleimon of Brazzaville & Gabon
MADAGASCAR
On the Edge of Poverty Dear Friends of the Mission, I feel the need to communicate with you to make you partakers of the missionary work. With the help of God and the blessing of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros, the missionary and charity work progresses slowly but steadily. Our work is multidimensional due to the large number of needs in both fields, that of Mission and the philanthropic one. Everyday new things, needs and problems arise. Natives always look forward to our aid, thinking that we can solve all kinds of issues because they themselves have no access to the state or to persons holding a position or to economically well-off people. Peo-
ple with health problems come to us on a daily basis. In these cases we refer them to our own medical clinics, but when the problem is somewhat serious, we send them to a hospital under escort. In many villages that we visit we experience serious incidents that sooner or later lead the patient to premature death as the condition is at an advanced stage and is not reversible. Mission clinics prevent many such cases and save lives in the vast deserts where they operate. Love for the salvation of both bodies and souls, leaves no room for opportunities to be lost, dispensing trouble, time and money in order to save even one soul. Our broth21
er, whatever that may be, does not cease to be Christ himself, and we must place ourselves in the position of the good Samaritan. All of this is not easy to handle, because first and foremost the Mission is in need of capable, hard-working people, time and money. Half of the success of the whole project in the Mission depends on the persons involved. Unfortunately, such gifted laborers are absent from almost all Missions; as a result, the burden of the Mission falls on the shoulders of very few people. The distances are very long and the roads are in an awful condition, which makes our short pas-
22
toral trips to many remote areas much harder. Our Christians are expecting us to go there so that they can hear God’s word and talk to us about their problems. People cut off from our wellknown civilized world are asking to share their love and everything that they are concerned about. Such areas lack not only electricity, which is non-existent even in large towns, but also water. In these barren and arid areas, when possible, the Mission builds cisterns in the center of the village and fills them from the water cart, so that people can have a little clean drinking water. In Toliara region, where it rarely rains,
Taking water from the tank of the tank of our Fraternity
Our newly-illumined brothers and sisters lack of water is a serious problem. You can see people transporting water from many kilometers away with the jerry cans on their heads or with improvised wheelbarrows or even with ox-carts. There are several villages along the road in rocky areas, without any other vegetation than wild shrubs. Their only job is to make charcoal and sell it in Toliara. Their image is tragic. Their clothes are shabby, dirty, torn, almost ragged. Their primitive outdoor oven is a charcoal or wood-burning one. Their kitchen utensils are in an awful condition, without any basic hygiene rules. Little children do not
go to school because there are not any; as a result, they play all day with dirt and makeshift toys. With a few pieces of candy that we give them, they are overjoyed and even lick the paper the candy is wrapped in. There is the pinnacle of poverty and deprivation. We promised to make them a small school and a small church. It would be gift a from heaven if the Fraternity could help us construct these two small buildings. Let us hope that God will send a warm-hearted donor to our assistance. Hope is never lost. It dies last. The Lord will provide. †Ignatius of Madagascar 23
24
His Beatitude, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria in Cameroon
25
GHANA
Come along with us A calling to life and to a personal free-will encounter with Christ through the education, formation and transformation of our lives: from a life full of decay and despair, to a life full of hope and light. This is the message which derives from the reopening of Saint Peter’s School in Larteh, a region of Eastern Ghana. It is noteworthy that the construction of this school is a project accomplished by the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, and it is not the only one. The same Fraternity built and equipped the adjacent S. Church of the Resurrection of Christ thanks to the donation of a late member. By the Grace of God and with 26
the blessing of His Beatitude, we attempted to reopen the Orthodox Technical School of Ghana by organizing various activities, such as summer camps within the school premises, with the help and support of OCMC, the largest Orthodox missionary organization in America, as well as by organizing seminars and events during festivals and school holidays. At the same time efforts are being made for the formation of the school premises and buildings on a functional basis. A school that will not only provide children with vocational and technical training along with professional skills, but also with faith
in God; in fact, the Orthodox faith as a proposition of life and salvation of the soul of man. In a place where over the last few years all kinds of “charismatic” groups coming from the other side of the Atlantic have paraded, dragging people into various psychoneurotic states, like other psycho-narcotics. These groups mainly deal with “miracles” in the form of voices and screams, an alleged result of the inspiration of God, or with “wonders” of treatment of physical illnesses and demonic possessions which derive from magic. The challenge is very flat. With voice sweetly bland and steady, reflecting the Light of Christ, as Glad-
some Light, a constant and everlasting light when all the other lights go out. He is there, illuminates what is needed, leads and does not mislead, warms and soothes the soul. Perhaps, this is the most essential humanitarian aid we must offer to our African brothers. And, as an old saying goes, «it is better to teach a hungry man to fish than to give him a fish to eat.” Training and education is the only real investment for the future; an education that leads people to the knowledge of God (theognosia). This is our mission and responsibility here, in the land of Africa, so that Orthodoxy is present in the future.
Drilling for water at an Orthodox school
27
For all these reasons and despite the economic crisis, we are fighting tooth and nail to keep these educational institutions running for many years, tuition-free, when along with education and training, full-board accommodation is also offered to the students attending these schools. Naturally then, when a student calls a friend of hers to enroll in her school, we are all invited to support this invitation and encourage it by every possible means so that Orthodoxy is not absent from the future of Africa, the Continent of the future. Our positive response is our responsibility and our commitment to true
28
faith and to the Church of Christ. Dear members of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity of Thessalonica, you have always been our companions in this calling of the Lord, «For many are called, but few are chosen». (Matthew 22:14). The invitees are the ones who accept the invitation, go and just sit at the banquet table. The elect are the ones who accept the invitation, go and work with sacrificial love and gratitude for the invitation. You, brothers in Christ, have always been the chosen ones of the Mission. With love in Christ and gratitude † Narcissus of Accra
CONGO (DRC) - Kinshasa
Our Anguish Another year has already ended. The year 2017 has gone with progress made in the Mission work but also with many problems still unsolved. In that year left for his Heavenly abode Metropolitan Ignatius of Pentapolis, who had been following in the footsteps of the two major missionaries of the Metropolis of Kinshasa: Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, who brought Orthodoxy to the natives of Congo and shed his blood for that, and Archimandrite Chariton Pnevmatikakis, who continued this work by organizing it in the city of Kananga, particularly with the ÂŤLight of NationsÂť Schools, catechisms and baptisms. This work was actively support-
ed by the Metropolitans of Central Africa at the time, Kyprianos, Nicodemus and Timothy. Many times we do not mention, or we simply forget to mention the contribution and the great efforts of the Metropolitans as well as of Greek resident aliens to organize and consolidate the Mission in the Zaire then and now Congo. The work done by all these is very important indeed: churches, priests, schools, radio stations, catechisms, baptisms, a University. It is our sacred duty that we move forward, preserve what has been so painstakingly accomplished and solve the problems which we are confronted with. We need to organize our selves, proceed with the creation of parish communities and
29
Students of an Orthodox school, funded by our Fraternity spread Orthodoxy to the indigenous people here. However, these things can only be achieved with fervent prayer and help on the part of our brothers. In particular, we should reiterate the words of the great holy missionary Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, the founder of the Mission in Congo: ÂŤMission means persons living and moving who need support in order to survive and the ability to move long distances easily. It means facilities, premises, printing houses, books and textbooks for distribution, libraries, reading rooms, common rooms and equipment for all of them with the requisite furniture, machinery and audiovisual aids, even 30
the means required for languagelearning and many others. It means the creation of local parish communities or ecclesiastical places headed by their native Clergy, who need cassocks, vestments, holy vessels and all kinds of items used in the divine worship. It also means distributing religious gifts, such as small crucifixes, pocket icons, that is to say, small, friendly gifts especially to the children, and clothes, even old ones, to the poorest of the converts. Another important trait of the Mission has to do with providing basic medical treatment and medical aid. For the poor people here even the most elementary medical care and the most common medications are a divine gift, a god-sent
blessing. Therefore, the provision of health care is something that a missionary and a religion must always remember.Âť We try to hear his voice and move forward and ask him in our prayers to direct us from his heavenly abode close to God, so that He illuminates good-hearted philanthropists to support the Mission. Our anguish is great. We build churches but we have no priests to serve the Liturgy every Sunday, to ring the bell every morning and evening. And when we must send priests, we have no means of transport or money to pay the fares or the cost of their short accomodation. Distances are huge and the cost of transport is great. Even when we finally find a priest willing to stay
there and organize the parish, to operate the churches, to bless the faithful, to baptize the catechumens, there are still no money to hire a house where he could shelter his family, to pay for his family’s medical protection, to pay the tuition fees for his children. And the families are big here. But the children of our priests must get education and the priest must have a house to roof his family. The Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, which we must thank and praise, sends an allowance to a large number of priests, which, however, given the high cost of living here in Congo, cannot suffice for the existing needs and aforementioned expenses. The Diocese helps when it can and as much as it can. How-
31
ever, it could not possibly afford to meet all the basic expenses of our priests’ households. As a result, our clergymen are usually in debt. If only it were possible to set up a fund that would help the priests! If only Dioceses, Parishes, Monasteries gave € 100 to 200 monthly to help our poor priests! It hurts my soul when they reach out for help and I cannot do anything to relieve them. We build schools but who thinks about their proper operation and maintenance? How will the teachers be paid? Parents try to help but what they give cannot suffice by any means; as a result, the teachers are left unpaid. One who is not aware of the
32
conditions in this land might wonder: why do we need schools? Isn’t it enough to have only churches? We will not answer them only with the words said by St. Kosmas of Aetolia about the necessity of schools but we will stress the fact that they are absolutely necessary so that we can keep our children in Orthodoxy. The schools here are mainly possessions of various religions, such as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Serbs, Muslims and several sects. The Orthodox children who go to those heterodox schools wherever we do not have Orthodox ones, receive their own religious education. The most important thing, however, is that the Orthodox chil-
Lord's blessing and mercy
dren, in order to remain in school, are obliged to attend the heterodox religious services every Sunday. Whoever does not participate, is punished. They frequently dismiss Orthodox teachers because they do not convert to their religion. Therefore, the Orthodox children are obliged either to deny their faith and convert to the new one, or stop their studies. When we go inland, the mothers’ cry is: “Save our children, make schools.” The same cry comes from the young people as well. Even our radio station needs money to operate. It needs fuel (petroleum) for the electric power generator, so that the “Voice of Orthodoxy” can broadcast eight hours
a day, four in the morning and four in the evening. So that it can get in people’s houses and huts. So that they can learn what Orthodoxy is. It is good to build churches, schools, medical centers, to have radio stations, but how are they going to work? How will the parishes be organized? How will they have a priest? How will catechists go there to teach? How is it possible for the Church to acquire new members, such as theologians, priests, cantors, catechizers? All these require money for transport, maintenance and studies. And Mission is all the aforementioned things. † Nikiphoros of Kinshasa
33
TANZANIA - Dar Es Salaam
Hearts Were Broken In the 25 years of my missionary ministry, I have felt my heart break twice! The first time was in 1992. I was in India, in Kolkata, when I found little Mamoni-Styliani, a one-year-old infant among garbage. Early in the morning we took the small Mission van and we visited Sokoine, a city in eastern Tanzania, about 250 km from the capital. There we have a parish community of the primitive Maasai tribe numbering about 450 members, half of whom have already been baptized while the rest are still catechumens. Naturally, the arrival of the small Mission van raises an alarm of 34
joy, hope, life! So, as soon as the van stopped, a bunch of more than 100 little kids running through the forest came around us, quickly formed a queue one after the other and as always, patiently waited to receive the gifts and blessings of the Mission. As I was watching the children and was about to give out the items of love, suddenly my gaze fell to the back, in the forest of the savanna. The spectacle shook my heart: a little child was moving slowly, step by step, relying either on the one and only leg that he had, or on a stick he held in his hands, which offered him support! Immediately I left the oth-
er children and, with a quick step, I got close to him. I was shocked! I could not hold back my tears! It was a toddler whose drops of sweat from discomfort, strain and pain ran like a river down his shabby clothes! I took the little boy in my arms, quickly brought him into the Mission van, gave him clean clothes, vitamins and sweets, and immediately I called his parents to come. When I saw two young people from the primitive Maasai tribe arrive with another baby in the mother’s arms, my tears joined the tears of the sorrowful mother. At earlier times this child would have already died deserted in the forest, but today, after their baptism
in the Holy Baptistery of Orthodoxy, there is hope for the disabled and all the children of the world! Immediately we talked with the parents and made the necessary arrangements, so tomorrow they will be at the state hospital of the city, so that the child’s leg can be restored with a prosthetic. So I want to believe that on his name day next year little Antony will be able to run, play, go to school, go to church and praise God! My beloved brothers , let us all help so that one more child can see the sun, stand on his feet, praise God! Little Antony says “Best wishes” to all of you, and he is only 4 years old! † Dimitrios of Irinoupolis
The disabled boy of Sokoine
35
MALAWI
Receipt of Humanitarian Aid Container ÂŤGlory to God!Âť This, my dear brothers, is the expression coming out of the mouths of hundreds of our Malawian brothers, since they feel the gratitude overflow through their hearts for the Greeks. From Greece, despite the great financial crisis, the Greeks sent here in Malawi a large 25-ton-container with humanitarian aid. Glorifying God as well, we are deeply grateful to all of you, my brothers, because this container has come here thanks to you! For years now you have been supporting us both morally and financially and you have shown your love to us in practice. We are sure that you have been praying for us , that is why we have progressed in our mission, as 36
all your prayers ascend to heaven, and God’s infinite love and compassion cannot deny His blessings and grants them to us in abundance. We remain speechless and wonder how amidst this great crisis you managed to fill a whole container and send us 25 tons of humanitarian aid! Many mouths have been satiated with your offering of love. Many kids have been strengthened and their belly has been filled with food coming out of your love. Many widowed mothers and many elderly people saw their humble huts, even for a while, filled with food. Rice, flour, legumes, milk, everything one could imagine! We tried to distribute them equally to 30 different parishes. For
example, the Archangels Parish in Palombe, the Saint Anastasia parish in Milepa, the Holy Trinity parish in Blantyre and so many others. All these people had been waiting patiently for our van to reach their own place. And when it did arrive, they lined up in a row and entered the van, and each and every villager would take something. Clothes, shoes and food. But it was not just that. There are some categories of people in Malawi that really touch us and we are sensitized to them. They are the homeless and the prisoners. So, once again, we did not forget them. We visited the homeless of our region several times. Oh! How
happy they were... They sleep in the streets, and the slightest thing you give them is of great value to them. They were almost dancing with joy. A little rice, a little flour was enough to make them feel overjoyed. Equally happy were the prisoners themselves. Some of them were convicted of murders they had not committed and were sentenced to life imprisonment ... What a great consolation it is for them when we visit them! They feel relieved and strengthened both morally and materially. Here, the state cannot possibly provide for them as well. This is so because from time to time the whole country sinks into great hunger and some areas are also plagued
Rice distribution, funded by our Fraternity
37
by cholera. Naturally, the prisoners are fed with a minimal amount of food. How can we ignore them? On the other hand, there are thousands of them. Every prison houses at least 2-3 thousand inmates. The cells are lousy and limited in number. Most inmates sleep on the ground, in the mud. Whenever we can, we get them some straw mats to lay them down and somehow stop dampness. Honestly, my beloved brothers, it breaks our heart that we cannot help them anymore... The container came, we distributed its cargo, and with it hundreds of poor people were satiated, but hunger still remains in Malawi. People belonging to vulnerable
38
groups continue to suffer, continue to starve, continue to lose their children from malaria and other illnesses because they have no money to buy the medicines needed and be cured. That’s why my brothers, we make an earnest appeal to all of you: Continue to help us, so that we can rest them from their misery even for a short while. We are in need of a lot of blankets that we can buy even from here. We ask any good Christian who can afford it, to donate 1,000 blankets to us so that we can distribute them to homeless people, prisoners, street children and other wretched people. A lot of good will come out of this because the warmth of a blan-
A wheelchair offered by our Fraternity
New baptisms ket will hold them for a long time... We also need corn meal, which is their main food, and which we can also get from here. We ask for 300 corn meal sacks to distribute them to the poor areas of the country. We also need water wells, which are absolutely essential, especially in areas where there is no water, so people can quench their thirst, wash themselves, feel relieved... By drilling a well, a lot of people are benefited. This is not little, is it? That was our news from Malawi, my brothers. Once again we thank you warmly for everything. Pray for us, for the wicked one fights the good wherever he sees it. But on the other hand, wherever he sees humble prayers and repentance, he
does not dare approach. And if he approaches and creates a problem, after a while the problem deflates and the temptation leaves, because it does not bear your humble prayers. I hope such prayers from all of us reach as high as the heavens. And if this is done, the blessing that comes down is enormous. Provided, of course, that we combine prayers with a conscious Christian life in general and cherish our faith. It is so invaluable that especially in our times, when lots of things have been greatly simplified we need to keep Tradition and the Rules of the Holy Orthodox Church as steadfast as ever. Fr. Ermolaos Iatrou 39
TANZANIA - Arusha
Consolidation of Orthodoxy My dear brothers in Christ, A year ago I was writing to you about my visit to the beautiful village of Imbongo, where all the inhabitants with one accord turned to Orthodoxy. I then told you that despite their utter poverty and isolation from the so called «civilized» world, they did not ask for either water (because they collected rainwater) or the completion of their half-finished school, but all together with one voice they asked for «kanisha», which in Swahili means “church”! One year later, it is with ineffable excitement and deep gratitude to the Holy Triune God that we are 40
announcing the beginning of the reconstruction work of the first church in Imbongo , dedicated to St. John the Theologian and donated by your Fraternity in memory of our sister-donor Parthena. In order to start the rebuilding work, all the villagers, men, women and children voluntarily carried stones from the surrounding area for the foundations of the church. This is a very touching and beautiful picture, which unfortunately has become extinct in the «civilized» world, to see all those people united cooperate for a sacred purpose, the construction of their own church, under the watchful eye of Merciful
God in a forgotten corner in the vastness of Africa, where our Holy Church grew roots 2,000 years after Christ’s coming to earth... Through this article I would like to thank my beloved brother, Mr. Angelos Voyatzis, Architect Engineer, who was not deterred either by the risks and the toil or by his seventy years from rallying to us in order to supervise the reconstruction of our church. The credit goes to the whole of your Fraternity, for Mr. Angelos is an honorable member of it... On Saturday, February 10th, on St. Haralambos feast day, always by the grace of God and with the blessing of our Patriarch, we performed baptisms of 53 new
members of our Holy Church at the Mission Center in Kidamali, Iringa, while the next Sunday, February 11th, we concelebrated with all the priests of Iringa region at the St. Sophia Church in Macubike, where through cheirothesia (that is, with laying on of hands), we had another two spiritual fathers-confessors and 8 new readers. Moreover, due to the fact that it was Meatfare Sunday, we all tasted the festive African love feast under the hot African sun, according to the tradition of the early Christian years. One Sunday morning, on the way to Mkonga village, where we were going to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the church of St Irene the Great Martyr, a little way out of the
A third waterpump, offered by your love
41
village, we noticed in a little river that had gone dry a group of women washing their clothes and dishes in some muddy waters left behind by rain, while a little further, another woman was digging in the same dry river desperately trying to find a little water to quench her thirst. As we arrived in the village, we discovered that the old well drilled by our Church had dried up. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, after the dismissal, we promised the poor peasants that with the help of St. Irene we would find water. Indeed, by the Grace of God, on Thursday, February 15th, 2018, in the presence of Mr. Voyatzis, we went to Mkonga village again to thank the Holy God for the drilling of another borehole, once again a donation coming from your Fraternity. Fortunately, we found plenty of water at a depth of 80 meters. We also performed the water blessing service at the same time. Once more I would like to express my deep gratitude to your Fraternity for your kind supportmaterial as well as moral- which you have always shown since my first steps in my humble missionary Diocese. May the Mother of our Lord protect you and bless you always. With love in Christ †Agathonikos of Arusha 42
I Do Not Forget! I do not forget - the caress of dawn On the wounded land of Africa. Days travel into the past Through the warm memories, But also through mourning clouds Of painful remembrances. There in the distant savannahs of the Equator The mind met with scenes from yesterday. And round the circular mud huts Children crafting bows and arrows. I do not forget - the flamingos in the lakes Flying in ceremonial formations. I do not forget –the lurking death Stealing life from small children. I do not forget - the Nile’s water sources In the company of water lilies. I do not forget - the deadly diseases Whipping the blood in the body. A sad tear of despair Accompanies the ongoing hunger. A drop of sweaty toil Looks for water in tomorrow’s hope. In the course of life proud tribes Follow the path of truth, While with their spears they capture Love in the warmth of the heart. I do not forget - the dusk of silence as the night rests the peoples of Africa. Nostis Psarras 43
Columns of Gratitude Donations from 1.11.2017 to 31.12.2017
Donors’ info are published in the printed edition only
44
Donors’ info are published in the printed edition only
For God loves a cheerful giver
45
Donors’ info are published in the printed edition only
46
Donors’ info are published in the printed edition only
Attribution
This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. Simlarly licensed works of the following authors were used in the respective pages:
6 Simply Viola 8 Austin Dixon 10 Zukiman Mohamad 14 Dariusz Labuda 17 Frogister 21 Franck Vervial 29 Christiane 34 Fabulousfab 44 Mali Maeder 47 Homecare119
47