#33 - September 2020
ORTHODOX MISSION QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ORTHODOX MISSIONARY FRATERNITY
orthodox mission
Founded in 1963 Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria July-September 2020 / Issue 33
Editor: Nostis Psarras
Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius
In this issue 04 06 10 13 17 21 26 28 32 35 39 42 45 46
Patriarchal wishes New Zealand India Indonesia Kenya - Nairobi Congo (DRC) - Kinshasa Ghana Uganda - Gulu Kenya - Kisumu Tanzania - Arusha Madagascar - Toliara A new beginning Deaconess Mother Theano Dr Eusebio Leal Spengler
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Authors are responsible for their own articles.
Owner:
Orthodox Missionary Fraternity 6, Mackenzie King st., Hagia Sophia sq. 546 22 Thessaloniki, Greece 2310 279910, fax. 2310 279902
https://orthodoxmission.org.gr communications @orthodoxmission.org.gr Registered Charitable Association Spiritual founder: Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos (1903-1972) Founding president: Pantelis Bayas Great Benefactor: Panagiotis Papademetracopoulos Honorary president: Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and all Africa
Board of Directors Charalampos Metallidis President Nostis Psarras Vice president Angeliki Arnaouti Secretary General Dimitrios Sotirkos Τreasurer Constantinos Metallidis Secretary Asst Zenobios Iatrou Treasurer Asst Evangelia Traikoudi Member Aikaterini Alexandrou Member
Prodromos Kalaitzidis Member
License
Distributed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license. Similarly licensed works of the following authors were used in the respective pages:
3 Jussi-Teppo Toivonen 6 paul bica 17 MudflapDC 21 Barbara Quinn 26 Water Alternatives 28 Roberto Maldeno 32 James Sanders 35 Prabhu Kannan 39 Olivier Lejade 42 Abraham Janovski
Blessed Virgin Mary Most Holy Mother of God If we knew the divine message of your mission, So humble in spirit, conveyed by Gabriel the Archangel, We, Christian believers, facing the cross of eternity, Would praise and glorify the Only Begotten Son-Christ Giving endless thanks to Your Holiness. If we knew the unparalleled greatness of your simplicity Embroidered as if with untouched little blades of grass, We would walk sin-free on the Christ-lit path of innocence With a heart flower petal scattered by the wind Sending our love to Your Holiness. If we knew the tenderness of your affection The warmth of your embrace, like that of little doves, We would run wholeheartedly in the path of virtue, Victorious fighters in a Christian society Offering a crown of victory to Your Holiness. If the nations knew that you are a child of God, The children in their dreams would play with the stars. If the nations knew that you are the mother of Christ, The spiritual sun would always shine in the soul. Kneeling in tears before Your Holiness. We are begging you! Please, suppress the flag of arrogance Fed by the enslaved drowsiness of reverence due to selfishness. Your Holiness is the only mother of the Christian Church, But also a partaker of the immaculate appellation. We apologize a million times, an apology coming From the sand grains on the briny breezy beaches, From the feathered creatures dancing sprightly in the sky, From the flowers scenting to welcome nature. Nostis Psarras
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Tonsure of two new monks Mark and Nikiforos in Saint Savvas Patriarchal monastery, Alexandria
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NEW ZEALAND
With Fear of God and Faith and Love, Draw Near The Maori, Polynesian natives of mainland New Zealand, and the Greeks have a common history. During World War II, the 28th Maori Battalion fought and gave 677 dead for the freedom of Crete and Greece, in the Battle of Crete. This sacrifice and common history is still respected and honored to this day by many Maori people. For the past two years, by the grace of God, priests of our Metropolis/Diocese have begun a systematic missionary effort near the Maori, the people of Aotearoa (as the Maori call New Zealand). They are people with a strong tradition and culture, which are supported in various ways 6
by the official state, to be kept alive and grow. Today, almost 80 years after the first contact, many Maori people are being catechized. The first fruit, to the Glory of God, is the baptism of the first Maori family, Peter and Mary King and their children (Demetrios (15), Athanasia (11), John (9), and George (1)). The family is now preparing to baptize their newborn child. It will be named after Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis, the Miracle Worker, whom Peter loves very much. There are many references to the presence of the Saint in many Christians in New Zealand!
When we asked them why they came to Orthodoxy, Peter answered us «we understand that Orthodoxy is the First (Ancient) Church and brings the one true faith. Through our contact with Reverend Fr. George, we saw God in action and the transformation of our life unfolding before our eyes, like a miracle. We felt a Peace that we could not explain.» Peter, Maria and their family were baptized in Tepapa’Tapou, the port of Aotea. It is a sacred place for Maria’s family and with a special connection with the family of the Maori King Tawhiao (1822 - 1894).
They used this area during the defense of their homeland against the British. Many local Maori people attended the Holy Sacrament of Baptism with a spirit of respect and reverence. For more than 70 of them, it was the beginning of their inner change; they started asking, learning and attending church meetings and prayers; they were not only catechumens in the Orthodox faith but also ambassadors of Orthodoxy and Christ in their own families! Fr. George, wisely thinking is not in rush for new baptisms. He prioritizes catechism and personal example, to essentially help catechumens
Baptism of the first Maori family in New Zealand
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Kowhai, the official flower of New Zealand be prepared to become conscious soldiers of Christ and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fr. George tells us: “We do not want these inwardly beautiful, pious people to come to Holy Baptism without a deep understanding of what it means to be and to live as an Orthodox Christian. We need solid foundations on which we can build the Faith of the Church. There are five brothers who could be baptized now, but we are not in a hurry. We also teach them prayers and hymns in the Greek language. We have been invited and perform Divine Liturgies in «Mara», the traditional 8
gathering place of the Maori tribes. It is the first time that Orthodox prayers had been heard in this traditional setting. It is very moving. Next year, with the blessing of our Metropolitan, and the assistance of many capable catechumens, we plan to translate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom into «Te Reo Maori», the Maori language. Peter, with the consent of his wife Maria, has prepared himself to be ordained a Deacon, the first Orthodox Maori clergyman. Demetrios and Ioannis serve in the Sanctuary every Sunday, while Athanasia is at the chanter’s stand. Nine-year-old John
has repeatedly stated his desire to become the first Orthodox Maori Bishop. May they be blessed!Âť This effort is an important step for Orthodoxy in Aotearoa. Our faith was first disseminated in this country by Greek immigrants who built Churches and established Parishes in the major cities of Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Auckland. Today is the next step and our Faith reaches the indigenous peoples of Waikato and beyond.
Please, our brethren, remember and keep our missionaries, the newly illumined and the catechumens in your prayers. Our young brothers in Christ, Maori, Fijian, Togolese and Samoan are in need of your prayers and are looking forward to them. Our family in Christ is growing. Let our love grow along with it, too. With prayers and the love of Christ, †Myron of New Zealand
Bishop Myron of New Zealand and newly-illumined Maori
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INDIA
In danger many times
Dear friends of the Mission, Rejoice in the Lord always! I finally manage to find a little time to write to you and convey to you images of grief from India. The coronavirus is on the rise. The orphanages are in the red zone with many cases and deaths. The situation is out of control. With millions of homeless people on the sidewalks, under bridges and in camps without basic hygiene rules, one would not expect anything better. Due to this long lockdown, millions of day laborers have been left without a job and are literally starving to death and dying. These 10
poor people are not even counted among the victims.... the situation is tragic. Fortunately, all our children are well as they are completely isolated. No visits, no support staff coming. The children do all the work themselves. Food supply seems like a marathon, but with God’s help, we are doing well. Our children do not stay hungry. Schools are closed. Lessons are done online, but with many difficulties, electricity is constantly cut off, telephones and computers cannot be charged, and internet
connection is poor, especially in our area outside Calcutta. And as if the virus and the lockdown were not enough, a cyclone swept and destroyed everything in Calcutta. We were not excluded from the disaster. A lot of trees that were full of fruit for our children were uprooted, downspouts broke, and with the windows closed the fury of the wind broke the windowpanes, so we got flooded in the dead of night and were left without electricity. The solar water heaters and water tanks were all dismantled, broken, blown off by the wind; God knows where
they “landed�. An unspeakable disaster indeed, but we praise God that we are all safe and sound as 100 souls were lost in Calcutta that terrible night of May 20-21. The damage caused as well as the human suffering are incalculable. All these years that I have been in India, I have never seen such a disastrous cyclone before. Needless to say, things are not easy in India. Transport, services, post offices, stores, everything has been closed from mid-March until August 30. So until then, no visas can be issued, nor are there any flights to Calcutta. I hope
Soup kitchen for the people of the streets
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by September the situation has returned to normal so that I can travel back to Greece. May God help and may everything will go as planned. God’s love puts us through many trials and tribulations. What can I say? Whatever God sends, whether good or bad, is welcome. May the name of the Lord be blessed and may He have mercy upon us through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints. From here, I am in daily contact with India and coordinate the work. Unfortunately in the Monastery the internet is not good and I have a hard time. I am also trying to reply to hundreds of unanswered emails,
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which in India I did not even have the time to read, and attach donation receipts. Missionary work never stops.... Finally, I would like once again to express my deep gratitude for the love and the continued support of your Fraternity, despite the fact that due to my heavy workload, the adverse circumstances and lack of time, I have failed to respond promptly to correspondence and to sending articles and photos. Please convey my thanks to the friends and donors of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. Remember us in your prayers! Wishing in the Lord, Sister Nectaria
In the aftermath of the lethal cyclone
INDONESIA
For a new beginning Dear friends of the Mission, Rejoice in the Lord. With God’s help, we are in good health. I am writing this update to give you a briefing about our Mission in Indonesia: 1. The general situation in Indonesia is not good. Now let me briefly explain about the problems we are confronted with in our Mission in general. Both churches and mosques are almost closed and do not operate normally. Although they are open, the number of people allowed to attend is limited. This is the case with our own churches as well. Usually, it is me and Presbytera Elizabeth in the church. This situation has been going on for 6 months now, but we do not anticipate that it will
stop soon. Schools are closed, and students are taking lessons online. As you know, our Mission revenues, which are limited, come only from small churches and schools. As regards myself, I got my salary from the Holy Diocese of Arta, because I was ordained priest there, but none of our priests here in Indonesia has any salary at all. Prior to Covid19, schools were open smoothly. The majority of our priests here are teachers in these schools, thus they could make ends meet this way. Now that schools have been closed since March 2020, our priests have no income at all the local parishes are closed. The Diocese of Singapore cannot afford to pay anything to their priests. I told our problems to the Metropolitan 13
Fr. Chariton with our Orthodox community on Nias island but I received no answer. Now I do not know what to do. Here the Protestant Church takes care of their priests and has no problem. What are we supposed to do since we have no money to support our family members, who are suffering from deprivation. The situation in our new Orthodox Mission here in Indonesia is very difficult indeed. 2. Our news from the island of Nias is more or less the same as that from the city of Medan, except for something that happened last week. There was a big storm on this island and a strong wind blew off half of the church roof. We want to have it fixed, but currently it is too difficult for us to afford the expenses.‌ Now our church and our schools are closed. As a result, 14
Father Chariton is facing a serious financial problem. Fortunately, there are plenty of bananas there, and the people eat them to survive. 3. My brethren, since due to this pandemic we have to stay at home, we think it is a good idea to take advantage of this opportunity and start translating paternal as well as other spiritual books, such as the Synaxarion, John of the Ladder, Ecclesiastical History, Gerontikon, Orthodox Church. These books are very useful as a means of Mission, and I intend to put some in the library of our St. Paul the Apostle Theological School. We want to have these books printed and then, we priests can sell them to have an income to live on. Due to the fact that our priests cannot afford to run
the Mission, it is a solution for the time being. Both the Synaxarion and the Ecclesiastical History consist of two volumes. So we now have 7 volumes that are ready to print. The problem is that we have no money. We print at least 100 copies of each of these books. The printing cost of each book is about 9 euro. If you want, dear brothers and sisters, each one of you can help by undertaking the printing cost for as many books as you want, eg 10, 20, 30, 40 books, and keep this money in the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity until the whole sum is raised. Please remember to send us the names of the donors for commemoration during the Office of Oblation. In this way, we, the
priests here, try to run the Orthodox Mission by selling books and at the same time earn our living. 4. Scientists here in Indonesia predict that this coronavirus thing will not stop soon. That is the reason why I intend to return to the village again to grow some fruit and vegetables so that we can have our own produce in 4-5 months. Of course we still have the orange tres, but the fruit quality is not very good because I could not afford to buy very good fertilizers. I want to buy good fertilizers so that in December 2020, we can have really good fruit. If you have the possibility, please help us in this matter. In my village is my paternal land, about 10 hectares, and I intend to plant
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and grow corn there. To facilitate the projects, we have to use tractors there. Here we can rent a tractor. The cost for 1 hectare is 320 euro. Once again, we make an appeal to your loving heart for help. 5. My brothers, since currently we cannot meet face to face because of the coronavirus, we have to use some means that helps us realize this meeting (professor with students, priest with believers), like, for example, a cell phone. However, as my cell phone is not good and makes some strange noises if we make communication connections, we want to buy a slightly better quality device for this purpose so that a voice can be heard clearly by others without much noise. We have asked for prices and found
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out that such devices cost about 750 euro. I really need such a good, reliable “machine� because I do my teaching through this. 6. Dear brethren, if this coronavirus situation continues until 2021, we, as a new Mission here in Indonesia, must take some steps to make sure that our priests can survive. I explained some things to you before. Please pray for us as regards this matter so that we can have deep faith in God. I have asked for many things, I know, but I would like to share the burden we have to carry here so that I can take courage and strength to carry on. That is all our news for now. May our Lord Jesus Christ protect you all with His power. Wishing in the Lord, Fr. Chrysostomos Manalu
KENYA - Nairobi
The Orthodox Church at the Forefront From Coronavirus Pandemic To Hunger Pandemic During the last five months that we have been literally trapped here in our place of service, we have experienced and tasted moments of pain and sorrow. Naturally, it was something that we expected. After all, within the Church, which is considered and actually is a healing place for bodies and souls, this is the main mission of the ministers of the divine and sacred sacraments. There are so many things to remember and write about, since this was our mission on a daily basis: Not only distributing food to the hungry, especially to children and the elderly, but at the same time giving actual support and a warm embrace to our suffering and
underprivileged brothers. It would be useful to give an overview of our experience, since we have made our presence felt as the Orthodox Church and conveyed the mystery lying behind hunger - which is of course,unacceptable in the 21st century. With deep respect and brotherly love but also prayer, we marched from one end of Kenya to the other, to live up close and support the suffering and deprived brothers, who no authority or entity undertook to relieve from pain, deprivation , the fear of the virus and of course, the fear of hunger. The first four months were crucial because of the restrictive measures - the so-called ÂŤcurfewÂť, 17
during which we could neither move about at night, nor travel from one place to another. So, we limited ourselves to Nairobi, the surroundings and in two cases, after a special permit, we visited two areas outside, since people asked us to visit them, especially the Maasai. The whole story started with the following incident. At the nearby kindergarten and elementary school of St. Clement, the teachers approached me to give me the following piece of information, saying: ÂŤDo you know that the 300 children who study here, next to your house, go to bed hungry at night?Âť (It should be noted here that the area where we live is considered degraded and is characterized as a slum).
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When our children are here, we offer them, besides free education, uniforms, medical care, footwear, breakfast and lunch. When our teachers told us what was going on, I was so shocked that I stayed speechless. I had to take a decision immediately. I took two seminarians, a teacher, my deacon, my driver, our cook and his assistant, and the support team was formed. This team prepared and presented to me the following plan: five different types of food in each package for the children’s parents. The team members all went to the market, did the shopping, arranged them themselves in special bags and then prepared them for distribution. We called 50 to 100 parents a day and gave them the package for the
children’s nutrition. Kenyan state television was informed of the incident, sent a crew and showed scenes in the main bulletin under the headline «A Greek Bishop Distributes Food to the Hungry Children of the Slum». The news spread everywhere, as it was the main topic in the television bulletins. As a result, we received a lot of phone calls: first from our parish priests, then from various schools, organizations - educational and sports ones - even our Muslim brothers. The food program is still running on a daily basis, and the state television comments on it and promotes it. Naturally, there was no parish left that we did not visit, including all the neighborhoods and villages, even the houses (huts) of the elderly men and women. What we saw, gave us such a shock that it would be impossible to describe it on a
lifeless piece of paper. Each case is a separate chapter in my new book, which is under publication. When the borders did not open at the same pace, we ran to all parts of Kenya from Mount Kilimanjaro to western Kenya and the Indian Ocean. The people there did not believe that they could get in their hands free food from an Orthodox Bishop, especially from a European one!!! This was the reason why the news bulletins of the television channels showed on a daily basis these efforts that relieved thousands of people. Of course we did not have money, but I contacted my friends and acquaintances and told them that if they sent me € 50, a family of ten could have enough to eat! It is ironic the fact that for a western man, € 50 is just enough for an individual meal… That is why we do not stop this program that we started five months ago during the 19
virus and famine pandemic here in Africa. I would not like to close this note without referring to a couple of specific events directly related to the effects of the coronavirus that ultimately led people to hunger. Particularly during these months, more and more young people of all walks of life, who previously had some kind of employment and made a living, approached me. With the little they earned, they paid the rent of the room they rented, had food to eat and clothes to wear, so they made ends meet. Now, however, due to the coronavirus devastating impact on economies and societies, they have lost their jobs, virtually everything; it was only natural for them to resort to the Orthodox Bishop, regardless of race, religion, nationality…
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It is well known now that the Orthodox Church helps everyone. Therefore, it came as no surprise to us when an unknown young man sent me a message on my cell phone: «I’m hungry. I will die. I haven’t eaten for three days. I live here, next to you, outside the School entrance. I do not ask for much. Only a kilo of maize flour so that I will not die… »One can easily understand the hardships these people have to endure. Look what an old woman whose grandchildren were hungry and crying did to make them forget about their hunger. She was forced to fill a pot with stones and put them over a fire to be cooked as if it were food. The children cried, got tired and fell asleep hungry, without ever eating anything that night. (To Be Continued…)
† Makarios of Nairobi
CONGO (DRC) - Kinshasa
Our Small Hospital The coronavirus epidemic caused many difficulties for the Mission and necessarily put a halt to ongoing projects. People were locked in their homes. Domestic and international airlines stopped operating, and Kinshasa was shut off the rest of the country. Those of our students who did not manage to leave for their hometowns, were confined to the boarding house of our Theological School. The bishop, wanting to make them feel safe and secure, stood by their side so that they would feel his care and concern. Stores and houses of prayer were locked down for the faithful. Financial hardships were multiplied. Difficult days dawned. Naturally, all these affected the missionary activity of our Diocese and led it to the sus-
pension of all actions and projects. In our small hospital, the Health Center, works had stopped before the coronavirus outbreak. They had stopped because we had run out of the donated funds and the Diocese had no money to continue the project. Besides, there are so many activities going on and our funds are so limited that nothing is left for the continuation of the Health Center works. The project had progressed but it was not possible to be completed. The patient rooms and the 1st floor treatment rooms were completed. Now, equipment is missing, as well as the doors that are currently travelling in the container your Fraternity sent us. This floor was used last spring by the doctors who came 21
from Greece and examined the poor natives for free. The people rejoiced, we all rejoiced. We were encouraged to go on with our efforts. The second floor is still in construction. Doors, floor tiles, ceiling, toilet facilities, electrical network, equipment are still missing. Moreover, the auxiliary rooms and the small chapel in honor of Theotokos Sumela and Saint Panteleimon, patrons of our Health Center, are also pending. During the few days it operated under very difficult circumstances, we realized its importance and necessity. We can remember the small child brought by his poor father in his arms. He could not pay 22
for a doctor and he trembled at the thought that his child was about to die, just like so many children who die for the same reason. Our doctors saved it, gave it medication and he left thankful with tears of gratitude with his little child in his arms. The child was saved. We witnessed many such incidents and teared up. Then we all wondered, when the works are over and the auxiliary rooms are added and the center is equipped and starts operating, how many people will it help? How many children will it save? Unfortunately, the money was over, the works came to a halt, the coronavirus epidemic broke out and
caught us unprepared. Many asked the Church for help but there was nothing we could do. In this hard season, we were unable to stand by them. Our Health Center was not operational yet. People came and begged for help, but since we had no money, we did not know what to do. Had it been completed, though, we could have stood by them, we could have helped them. It is imperative that funds are found so that the project can be completed as soon as possible for our people to be helped. As a matter of fact, with the container shipped by the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, the doors and some of the medical machinery are coming. The medical group in
Greece is being prepared and organized. But how could our small hospital operate, if not completed? Diseases here multiply, many indigenous people lack the money to visit a doctor, to get hospitalized, to be cured. And we, the Orthodox Church, the Diocese, the Mission, are unready to stand by them and help them since we need a lot of money to render our small hospital operational. We pray to our Theotokos and Saint Panteleimon to come to our help. We pray that they illumine the people who can contribute to the costs for the completion of the Health Center of our Orthodox Mission. †Nikiforos of Kinshasa
Waiting for the Health Center to open. Till when?
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Preparing soup kitchen in Arusha, Tanzania
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GHANA
New Beginning in Burkina Faso The history of Orthodoxy in Burkina Faso dates back to the first visit of the Orthodox Missionaries from Ivory Coast, namely Reverend Jérémie Béhanzin and his sub-deacon (now priest), Mahi Sébastien in August 2017. By the Grace of God, this visit opened the hearts of many natives to the reception of Orthodoxy, which many were already seeking. Based on this success, the Orthodox community of Burkina Faso decided to invite Father Jérémie to visit them.Fr. Jérémie, accompanied by a remarkable delegation of the Orthodox community of Ivory Coast, officially laid the foundations of the first visit to the Orthodox community of Burkina Faso, and took the first steps there 26
on Friday, December 20, 2019. The Missionary team was received with great enthusiasm by the natives who were willing to embrace the Orthodox faith. On Sunday, December 22, after the first Divine Liturgy, the Orthodox community of Burkina Faso officially laid the foundations with the baptism of the first Indigenous Orthodox people. This community numbers almost fifty members. On this occasion, the community council was established, headed by Coeffe Alain Roger, who is also a benefactor of this emerging community. A house located in the Benogo region is the one that accommodates the headquarters of this small community. This is also the gathering point for the believers who want to attend the Divine
Liturgy, listen to the Word of God, and participate in the meals of love learning more about Orthodoxy. However, the global coronavirus epidemic has disrupted the smooth running of this new community. Indeed, for several weeks, the Sunday Liturgies were suspended. The members of the community were confronted with the sudden and painful closure of the churches, caused not only owing to the existing financial difficulties but also by the state health regulations due to the pandemic. Some members of the community did not hesitate to use social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook in order to spread the Orthodox word throughout this confinement. This was especially appreciated, as young people daily
expressed their interest in the Orthodox Faith. As a prospect for the immediate needs, the Orthodox community of Burkina Faso would thrive if it had a church building and a priest to perform the Divine Liturgy there each and every week. In addition, it could penetrate much more easily into the hearts of the population by rebuilding an Orthodox school, which could educate the Indigenous people of Burkina Faso. My dear brethren, that is why we make once again an appeal to your love, asking for support and help in our work for the spread of Orthodoxy in this new Missionary endeavor. Wishing in the Lord, † Petros of Accra
Από τη βάπτιση των πρώτων Ορθοδόξων στην Μπουρκίνα Φάσο
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UGANDA - Gulu
Car Accident Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We would like to express our deep gratitude to all of you in Greece who support our work in various ways in the distant African country of Uganda. To me as a Bishop and to my priests, the work we do is a sacred duty; for it is a sacred duty to rest the souls that are thirsty to seek Christ and learn about Him, as it is a sacred duty to relieve them of pain, hunger and thirst. In His earthly presence, Christ did not limit himself to preaching, but also offered healing to people. He healed helpless people from their illnesses; He healed the crowds that ran to listen to him and took care of them by feeding them both spiritually and materially; He 28
healed them from the demons that torment people and push them into dreadful passions. So it is a sacred duty for us to be fellow companions of all these people who come to our missionary divisions and parishes, hoping to find a plate of food, an item of clothing, and most importantly, a medicine that will relieve their pain. Along with selected partners, we have started working on a very important project, that of creating a polyclinic. Do not even think that it is being made according to the specifications, standards and means that you have in Greece or in Europe, but with the basic medical means and equipment that can really relieve the pain. We would very much like to have better healthcare equip-
ment, as well as better-equipped medical laboratories, but this is impossible. Not that they do not exist in our country, but they are so expensive that there is no possibility for us to dare cross the threshold of a medical center and ask for it. As a result, the lack of an aspirin can cause a man’s death; the lack of a vaccine can lead our children to paralysis, or even death. How helpless we are, indeed! As a Bishop, what can I say to the desperate mother who comes to me with the sick child in her arms and begs me to help her cure her child? Whichever door we knock on, what we receive is only promises. Fortunately, there are some fellow humans who practice love in Christ. They are not just spectators of our
problems. Along with their prayers, they offer from the little they have and save lives. I will not forget an incident on a visit to Greece. As I was passing through a busy street in Athens, a beggar (!) gave me a small amount, barely enough to buy a bagel, but with this amount I was able to get two vaccines to save the lives of two little children. We are concerned about the evangelization of people’s souls, but we are just as concerned about the physical health of all our fellow human beings, whether they are members of the Orthodox Church or not. From the moment we live together and we are all children of God, the issue of health concerns us all. A vaccine, a pill, is absolutely
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Visit to a makeshift church necessary, especially for young children so that they can manage to grow up, and if they do grow up, not have their parents’ illnesses. Suffice it to say that the money some people spend in order to satisfy their hobby, is more than enough to eradicate deadly diseases. Today, my country as well is plagued by this new pandemic, and the need for help is even bigger. The fear and terror that prevails is evident in everyone’s eyes. What they can only do is pray not to be the next victims, themselves or their families. Dear brothers and sisters, we can all save one soul. Our struggle is sacrificial and our concern unsleeping. We may be unknown to many of our benefactors, but the common Chalice unites us and by 30
commemorating their names, we become known to them. By benefiting a man on earth, we benefit their Angel in heaven. Through the poor children’s big surprised eyes begging for help, it is God Himself looking at us. Let us not disappoint anyone. Let us not allow global indifference to become individual indifference. We can all at some point in our lives be in a position that we would not want to be; what do we do then? So let us first raise our eyes to heaven and ask for help from our Father above, and then let us look around to see this Father’s children who are our brothers, and then we will truly feel that we are not only members of an earthly society, but also of a heavenly one. † Sylvester of Gulu
Left Without a Car
I am writing to you with deep gratitude for your constant love and support to our poor Diocese regarding the missionary work of our Lord. As a result of the tragic road accident that we had on our way to St. Nectarios parish in Palaro north of the city of Gulu after the celebration of Pentecost at St. Basil’s Church, we praise our Lord for protecting us and helping us get out of the car alive. However, the vehicle was badly deformed after its overturning due to the poor condition of the roads connected to most of our centers in Northern Uganda. Apart from our own injuries, which, thank God, were not very serious, the damage to the car was so great that it jeopardized our entire mission. Still under medical care for a while but feeling much better
already, I cannot help thinking that our efforts to continue with our tasks are in absolute perplexity, as it may be extremely difficult- if not impossible- for us to have access to our remote and scattered Mission Centers. Due to the poor financial condition of our New Diocese, we could not afford to buy a new means of transportation. Thus, since a vehicle is absolutely necessary for our mission, the only solution to our problem is to get the car repaired, which is definitely more economical than buying a new one. After thorough research and advice from certified mechanics, we were given a detailed repair invoice. At this point, we humbly ask for your assistance in order to be able to continue our mission. †Sylvester of Gulu
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KENYA - kISUMU
By the lake Victoria The Holy Diocese of Kisumu and Western Kenya was founded in 2015 by a decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa and the blessings of the Primate of the Alexandrian Church, His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, and of the Holy Synod. The first bishop of Kisumu was elected in 2015 by the late Bishop Athanasios. In fact, Mission in Kenya started dynamically many years ago with His Beatitude Makarios III, Ethnarch and Archbishop of Cyprus, and has been going on to this day with His Eminence Makarios, Metropolitan of Nairobi 32
and Exarch of all Kenya. Other hierarchs such as His Eminence Seraphim, former Metropolitan of Kenya and current Metropolitan of Zimbabwe , His Beatitude current Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and other clergymen, missionaries, volunteers, clergy and laymen, all made a considerable contribution to the missionary work of the Orthodox Church of Kenya. Today there are two new dioceses, the Diocese of Nyeri and Mount Kenya led by His Grace Bishop Neophytos, and that of Kisumu and Western Kenya led by His Grace Bishop Markos. The latter was elected Bishop of Kisumu on October 9, 2019 by decision of the Holy and Sacred
Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and with the blessing of His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. Today, in the Church of Kenya and the Diocese of Kisumu there are schools, orphanages, clinics and other institutes which treat and help needy and orphaned children, as well as our holy monastery of Panagia Tricherousa (the threehanded Theotokos) with our elder and nuns. All this has been made with the help, contribution and donations of good, kind people, warm-hearted
benefactors from Kenya and abroad, from Greece, Cyprus and other European countries as well as America. Our priests in the Diocese of Kisumu are 62. Thanks to the donations of pious and Orthodox Christians, we can give our clergy a small salary so that they can take care of their families. Every country has its problems, and this is also the case for Kenya and Western Kenya. Unfortunately, the problems are not few, especially after the latest events and the pandemic, which have caused a lot of distress and suffering,
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particularly to the poor and needy. Nevertheless, we must continue our struggle and the good work of God to ensure that our poor, simplehearted brothers and sisters here have their daily bread. We cannot stop our struggle by any means, but this cannot be achieved without the help and support of God-loving people like you. We hope that our communication will continue, and in the future those of you who can, will visit our Mission, because it is different to see Mission life up close, like our dear brother in Christ and friend Mr. Nostis Psarras, Vice President of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
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and Editor of the homonymous quarterly online magazine, a man who lived in the Western Kenya Region several years ago with Missionary mamma Stavritsa Zachariou. Only those with a compassionate, merciful heart and care for these children who are so in need, will see their pain and misery, and despite the trials and tribulations that the whole world has been going through lately, they will make the sacrifice and give from the little they have to help even one child. May God be with us all. †Markos of Kisumu
Good Friday with bishop Markos of Kisumu
TANZANIA - Arusha
New Missionary Activities Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, It is with feelings of deep gratitude to your charitable hearts that I communicate with you trying to make you partakers of both the joy and the difficulties we experience daily on the blessed field of Mission. A year ago I wrote to you about the first solemn Divine Liturgy celebrated in Masenge village, at the Church of Saints Paisios of Mount Athos and Luke the Physician, which was still under erection. A year later, with emotion and gratitude to the Holy Triune God, I am happy to announce the completion of the reconstruction work. This project was accomplished thanks to another donation coming from your Fraternity. Once again, I would like to thank wholeheartedly all the members of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity of Thessaloniki for
your continued support to the work carried out by our Diocese, here in Central Tanzania. It is through various activities and projects that we try, to the extent possible, to respond to the innumerable needs of our flock. In an area dominated by poverty and misery, no one can remain unmoved at the sight of human suffering. There are many times when the eyes of little children say more things and testify in the most eloquent way the difficult and inhuman daily life they have to endure. The ÂŤSt. NicholasÂť Clinic in Kintamali, Iringa, donated by the Holy Metropolis of Nea Krini and Kalamaria, in Thessaloniki, operates thanks to your monthly financial support and welcomes dozens of aching souls who fight in the stormy sea of sickness and poverty. It is worth mentioning that during
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Cooking for the community the period of the outbreak of the coronavirus, our clinic continued to offer its services to the poor people of Iringa, without suspending its operation. We hope for continuation of this important monthly support offered by your Fraternity to our suffering brothers and sisters in the impoverished region of Iringa, on the edge of the African continent. Near our Mission Center in Kidamali, we have the construction of a monastery in progress; a monastery, which will house the monastic fraternity that already exists. Currently, four monks are practicing and lovingly minister to the needs of every person coming to our Mission Center. The main church of the monastery, dedicated to Sts. 36
Michael the Archangel, Menas and Paisius Velichkovsky, has been completed, while the construction of cells and auxiliary spaces of the holy monastery are in progress. We are continuing our efforts for the completion of the work, looking forward to your help and support, because, admittedly, without your wholehearted support, nothing would have been accomplished. The creation of a monastery is important for the consolidation of the missionary work, because without monasticism, the work of the Church does not take root. This monastery will be an orthodox nest and our brothers who will go there, will have the opportunity to experience the authentic liturgical tradition of our Church, as it was saved
over the centuries through the hesychast tradition. In our current communication, we would also like to inform you about a project that is opening up in front of us. We have launched the construction of a Mission Center in the city of Arusha, where the see of our Diocese is located. Looking back in time, in 1911, the blessed late Archimandrite Fr. Nicodemus Sarikas, pioneer of the Mission in Tanganika at the time, made the Arusha Region the center of his missionary activity. Based in Masoka, he «plowed» the whole of Tanzania, sowing the Word of God. We humbly pray, expecting the blessing of God and looking forward to your noble love, and hope that Arusha will again become an important
missionary center for the spread of the Gospel, putting into practice the vision of His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II, who from the beginning of His God-loving service as a patriarch, envisioned the creation of a diocese based in Arusha, which is also the administrative capital of EAC, the union of East African Community. It was with great difficulty that we finally managed to acquire a plot of land in a beautiful area near the main road network, which, with God’s help, will house our dreams for the course of Orthodoxy in Central Tanzania. The necessary works for the clearing of the area and the plot fencing have already been completed. In addition, a borehole has been drilled, which will cover
In the soup kitchen queue
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the needs not only for the execution of the works but also for drinking water of all those that will be ministering to the people of the region. After the completion of the first necessary works for the beginning of the reconstruction of the center and with the thought that «everything starts with God», our main concern and duty is the construction of a Sacred Church. Arusha is a center of action for many Protestant groups, which despise the holy person of Our Most Holy Lady. That is why we decided to dedicate the church which is to be built in the Mission Center headquarters to the Theotokos, asking for Her blessing and protection, so that this new nursery of our Church may shine as a beacon of light in the darkness
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of the heresies of various «charismatic» groups active in the area. In this new beginning, your assistance would be invaluable! Once again, I appeal to your charitable hearts for support, material as well as spiritual, in order to build the church in honor of Our Most Holy Theotokos. This is our primary goal so that the Orthodox Church can have a serious and blessed presence in Arusha. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support to this difficult, but at the same time beautiful, work of the Church and our Patriarchate! May the Most Holy Theotokos richly give you Her grace and guide our lives unto good works! Wishing in the Lord, † Agathonikos of Arusha
Saints Luka and Paisios church, built by our Fraternity
MADAGASCAR - Toliara
Christianus Educandus In the twilight of the fourth century AD. between the land of saints Cappadocia, and the land of philosophers Athens, rises the greatest of personalities, the crown of theologians and an exemplar of ascetics, the truly Great amongst the humble, Basil. Lover of Christ and of fervent prayer, spectator of the uncreated light, and at the same time, philosopher, philologist, jurist, orator, naturalist, possessing profound knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and medicine, a man who had mastered all the available disciplines at the time. At one point in his writings, where he talks about his studies,
regretting that he was kept away from prayer, that is, away from his relationship to the Person of Jesus Christ, he decides to write the famous exhortation «To the youth», a Christian pedagogical textbook on how the young should approach knowledge and faith. In it, there is a beautiful analogy: «the young must move on the journey of knowledge like the bee, which avoids thorns to find nectar”, that is, to escape the thorny pluralism, the selfish gathering of information and to be initiated into the mystery of education which offers the whole horizon of expression for the experience of a Christian. 39
Unfortunately, sixteen centuries later, on the one hand, in the developed world, St. Basil the Great seems to have said nothing since we all gather knowledge simply to increase our selfishness, and on the other, in the developing world, education is something unknown. Africa, for example, is a continent of laborers working hard like slaves for the white ones, second-rate people, who in practice have no right to knowledge, to medical care, to real life. Africa is a land that asks a father of five, who only earns one 40
euro per day, to pay twenty euro a month to send to school one of his children. Africa, even today, is still an incubator of inequalities. It is this humanitarian crisis that my humbleness, as the least of the bishops of our missionary Patriarchate, comes to share and ask for the love of all of you, members of the Church, so that we can make a brilliant difference here in Southern Madagascar. To create from scratch an equal opportunity for everyone. To build schools, temples of knowledge,
and where they already exist, to make them worthy of the images of God. To decongest the overcrowded classrooms of sixty and seventy children in groups of five at desks for two. To make the young people of the Black Continent role models of the fourth- century Christians. Dear brethren, my fellow Cyraeneans, in the capacity of father, bishop, missionary, monk and above all, world beggar, I ask
again and again for the widow’s mite mentioned in the Gospel, your contribution from the little you have but at the same time from the surplus of your love, which for the last two years has become a special occasion of feasting and celebration for the poor children of God in Southern Madagascar. Beggar eternal, †Prodromos of Southern Madagascar
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A New Beginning in Southern Tanzania By Fr. Ermolaos Iatrou Dear friends of the Orthodox Mission, Rejoice in the Lord! I hope you are all well, in good health, and the Grace of God Almighty, our sweetest Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Blessed Mother, always cover you. I am writing this letter to you for two reasons. The first reason is to express my deepest gratitude to you for your very important contribution and help so far, all these years that I have served in the Mission in Malawi. I would like to thank you wholeheartedly because without you, the humble work of ministry to our fellow human beings in the place where I served could not have been done. The second reason why I am writing to you, my beloved brothers and sisters, is to share with you my news and plans for the future. You know that by the grace of God I was made worthy to serve in the Malawian Orthodox Mission for 14 years. I taught our 25 indigenous clergymen this very spirit, and I passed on to them the love of Christ in Orthodoxy and of keeping His commandments. Now, with God’s help, Malawi has 25 priests, a permanent bishop, several churches and schools, and is generally an important spiritual force throughout Africa. Lately, after 14 years of intense effort, we managed to complete the translation of all the Menaia and all our Liturgical Books into the local 42
language, Chichewa. So we published them and placed them in all our churches. This is a great and historic event and will give a great spiritual impetus to the local Mission, because at last, the natives will understand all our orthodox services in their own traditional language, the one that they speak and comprehend. Thus in Malawi, Matins, Vespers, The Great Compline, the Salutations, the Supplication to the Holy Virgin, the Divine Liturgy and the rest of the sacred services are now performed regularly in every church, all in Chichewa. The world understands, marvels and is filled with the Holy Spirit that is hidden in all our liturgical books. Over time, I believe many more people will come to our churches and ask to be baptized because they will marvel at our faith. Now, with the blessings of the Patriarch and the Bishop, I asked to be transferred to a region of Tanzania called Mbeya, which is located within the Diocese of His Eminence Agathonikos. In that region there is not a single person baptized Christian Orthodox, there is not even an orthodox church, which is certainly something that challenges me a lot, because again with your help, and the blessing of His Eminence Agathonikos, I hope to minister to the people in Mbeya. May the God Almighty bless my humble effort... That is why, my brethren, I inform you and ask you to stay by our side, because Mission is not a matter of one but a matter of all of us. Please sup-
Our Fraternity has funded 35 water projects in Malawi
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port me in this new beginning. Let us build churches. Let us baptize these people. Let us begin this ministry together as partners. As for those of you who want to support me in the new mission where I will be serving, you could assist me as regards the basic needs, especially in the beginning. One of the most basic expenses will be to cover every month the rent of the house that I will be using both for a rectory and for the conduction of the Divine Liturgy. It is also imperative that we buy a car, which will enable me to start going to the villages for catechesis and baptisms. Later, we will try to erect the first church building, which I would like to have a dual dedication, to St. Mark the Eugene and Photius the Great, in order not only to attract the Grace and help of the saints but also to send everywhere a message of what we stand for and of what we believe. Especially nowadays, it is imperative for each one of us to take a stand. Along with the church, we would like to build, God willing, a large Mission Center, which, at the same time, will function as a monastery center that will serve to spread our faith more easily everywhere. At this point I must end my communication with you. Thank you for your support and trust in me so far. I thank God for calling us personally and uniting us secretly around Him to work humbly in His Church. I salute all of you with a holy kiss and a brotherly embrace! Wishing in the Lord, Fr. Ermolaos Iatrou
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Call them to eternal life
Deaconess of the Mission Mamma Theano Mousdelekidou
On this holy day of March 3, 2020, the sun of your earthly life fell asleep on the blessed slopes of Katanga, Theano, daughter of the Congo Mission. But your God-bearing soul, accompanied by angels, rose for a journey to heavenly eternity. You went there as a successor to Deaconess Phoebe of St. Paul the Apostle. You went there like a flying swan coming from afar in July 1987. You went there like a sunny dream dressed in feelings of compassionate affection. You went there bearing multiple gifts from God, especially your heartfelt love for the African brothers, a clear waterfall of Christ’s living water in their thirsty desolate souls. It was with feelings of gratitude that our blessed Spirit-bearing Shepherd, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II, honored you and by the laying on of hands, he made you a deaconess of the Mission. Now the days of Africa drenched in sweat from the toil of the natives and the few Missionaries, drop by drop, follow the path to the past, leaving indelible memories of love to those who planted their bodies as guests in this land of martyrdom, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Nostis Psarras 45
Dr Eusebio Leal Spengler The Philhellene Historian of Havana Another blessed day has passed- that of July 31, 2020, leaving numerous people on their way to heaven, such as Eusebio, a late dear friend aged 77. He was the man who saved Havana’s historical heritage. For four consecutive decades, driven by his love for aesthetics, he worked eagerly as the director of the restoration program of old Havana and its historical center, thus preventing the collapse of buildings-structures of high architectural value. Today, the entire Old Havana has been cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eusebio received numerous international awards and medals for his contribution as a doctor as well. He visited Greece privately several times to admire the ancient Greek and Byzantine monuments. His last visit was when he was invited by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity welcomed him with fervent love and due respect. In a message he wrote to me: «You welcomed me like St. Paul the Apostle when he came to Thessaloniki…» Then, accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras 46
of Mexico and Central America, he visited Mount Athos. Being a trusted adviser to President Fidel Castro Ruz, he conveyed his spiritual admiration to him, who expressed his great desire to visit Mount Athos himself. Unfortunately, due to Western Government intervention, his visit to this holy place was cancelled. Eusebio was also the founder of the Holy Church of St. Nicholas in Havana, whose construction was funded by the Cuban Government. The opening ceremony took place on January 25, 2005 by the Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew, who received the key to the Holy Church from President Fidel Castro Ruz. Finally, this remarkable man of Cuba granted a historic building to the Holy Metropolis of Mexico and Central America to be transformed into a Theological School for Mission-training for all Latin American seminarists. We bid you farewell, Eusebio‌ May you rest with the saints in heaven, dear friend. Blessed repose and eternal memory. Nostis Psarras
Baptism at Saint Nicholas church, Havana
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