A new beginning

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

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

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