orthodox

mission
Founded in 1963
Honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria
October-December 2019 / Issue 30
Editor: Nostis Psarras
Authors are responsible for their own
Ss. Missionaries Cyril and Methodius articles.

IN THIS ISSUE Owner:

04 Pacific Islands Orthodox Missionary Fraternity
6, Mackenzie King st., Hagia Sophia sq.
06 Kenya - Nairobi 546 22 Thessaloniki, Greece
08 Ghana 2310 279910, fax. 2310 279902
12 Sierra Leone https://orthodoxmission.org.gr
16 Congo (Brazzaville) communications
20 Congo (DRC) - Goma @orthodoxmission.org.gr
23 Malawi Registered Charitable Association
26 Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam Spiritual founder:  Fr. Chrysostomos
Papasarantopoulos (1903-1972)
28 Kenya: a Fruitful Land Founding president:  Pantelis Bayas
31 Orthodoxy in Colombia Great Benefactor:  Panagiotis
Papademetracopoulos
33 Bishop Germanos Honorary president: Patriarch Theodore II of
34 In the Footsteps of a Saint Alexandria and all Africa

39 Divine Gifts Board of Directors

40 The Truth
44 Chrys. Papasarantopoulos
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Charalampos Metallidis President
Nostis Psarras Vice president
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Constantinos Metallidis Secretary Asst
Zenobios Iatrou Treasurer Asst
Evangelia Traikoudi Member
Aikaterini Alexandrou Member
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License
Distributed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license.
Similarly licensed works of the following authors were
used in the respective pages:
4 Andrew Moore 8 Hugues 12 David Denicolò
14 Eduardo Fonseca Arraes 16 Roberto Saltori
20 Julien Harneis 23 Gustave Deghilage 26 xorge
30 Derek Keats 31 kzoop 37 Guido Menato 38 Hans
Olofsson 44 Rod Waddington 46 Jeff Attaway
Holy Nativity 2019
May the grace of our newly-born Christ
shine upon you and the nations in the new year 2020
3
 PACIFIC ISLANDS
Gone with the sea
Dear Mission Friends and Support-
ers,
By the Grace of our Lord we
were in Greece on July 5, escorting
from the Mission Orphanage of the
New Zealand Holy Metropolis to
the Fiji islands three children, Mo-
ses, Basil and Gabriel, so that they
would study at the Ecclesiastical
School of Patmos, learn the Greek
language and the Holy Scriptures.
God willing, these three children
will eventually become the first ed-
ucated native Priests of Fiji.
This trip is the culmination of
an 18-month effort on the part of
many people from Fiji, New Zea-
land, Australia and Greece, during
which 31 documents were required
4
for each child along with transla-
tion and authenticity validation for
entry permits to be issued in both
Australia and Greece, their study
permit in Greece, acceptance and
enrollment at the Ecclesiastical
School of Patmos, as well as one
year tickets and travel insurance for
each child. All the above cost 3,500
euro per child. It was a procedure
that had never been done before,
and it is a valuable asset for the fu-
ture, as it made us gain the knowl-
edge required to keep the road open
and strengthen the relationship be-
tween Fiji and Greece.
Patience and perseverance were
valuable allies. The contemplation
of the ultimate goal gave strength.
Praying and invoking the Holy
Name of God overcame all kinds
of difficulties. We reached the first
milestone. We move on to the next
one by the Grace of God Almighty.
Thanks be to God.
Moreover, during the past 6
months a successful attempt was
made for Fr. Panayiotis to move from
Fiji to Sydney, Australia, in order to
undergo double surgery on the right
eye and have a partial restoration of
his vision. His eyesight had been
completely lost in the left eye due
to diabetes. His double transition to
Sydney over a 3-month period and
the operations performed restored
his right eye vision from 10% to
Our Fijian orphans chanting
40%, and it is constantly improv-
ing. The result of cooperation in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is
marvelous. Wherever there are 2 or
3 gathered in His name, He is there
too. Thanks be to God.
We are small and weak. The Al-
mighty God sends His Angels and
illumines His will in our minds and
hearts and gives us the power re-
quired for its accomplishment. May
He enable us to perceive it, accept it
and serve it to His Glory at all times.
Finally, may the Almighty God
bestow His abundant blessings
upon you, your associates and the
readers of your magazine.
† Myron of New Zealand
5
 KENYA - Nairobi
Travel to Nowhere
We are in the middle of
nowhere! One must have a vivid
imagination, or be endowed with
the gift of writing poetry or painting
to be able to depict on this lifeless
paper the feelings and thoughts
that dominate one’s entire existence
when visiting such a place.
Our Orthodox Church has set
as her main priority the project that
exists in these forgotten - remote
areas, education, along with what
is called a “food program”. It is
practically impossible- even for
little children who are still innocent
and pure- not to understand that
they cannot be educated unless
they first put something in their
stomach to keep them alive. Only
then will they be able to capture
6
the messages of knowledge and
education, despite harsh conditions.
A simple meal, even if it
consists of two slices of bread with
some butter or jam- or even without
it, will relieve the empty stomachs
of those little children, who have
every right to have access to some
food in order to survive. After all, we
live in the 21st century! Is that so
difficult? What we, civilized people,
take for granted, is a distant dream
for them. Is it really right for us to
indulge in all kinds of food, fill our
stomachs and rest without thinking
of those innocent little children
who are starving to death? We will
not give out of what little we have,
since deep inside we know very well
that we have too much of a surplus
for our own survival, or rather our
well-being and enjoyment. Let us
realize that it is our own duty to save
innocent souls who trust us and beg
us to offer them what we so richly
enjoy: their lives…
I’m starting to get concerned
as traveling to nowhere takes
me to places that really leave me
speechless. There, in those places
of my pastoral exile, I reached
the most forgotten poor and
unprotected little children who
lived in anticipation of a word and
a little smile. I met them. And what
do you think I saw in front of me? A
structure - supposedly their school-
where they attend classes daily and
get educated. A construction made
Touring around the countryside parishes
of wild wood and earth, which
eventually collapsed and because
of that all sorts of insects came
in, and of course, the cold. What
could I possibly say to them in
that situation that I found them?
Naturally, they were starving. What
were they supposed to eat and
where? The whole nature is dead
and the soil has covered their faces,
since they had no other choice but
to play outside. These children are
alive with the little means they have
but they definitely need love and
affection, a tender embrace, a good
word and something to warm their
innocent heart. Further comments
are superfluous.
† Makarios of Nairobi
7
 GHANA
Youth Gathering in Larteh
Another activity of the Holy Me-
tropolis of Accra is that of the youth
gathering, which, by the grace of
God and the blessing of the Primate
of the Alexandrian Church Pope and
Patriarch Theodore II, was held at
the premises of St. Peter’s School in
Larteh, Ghana, from 1 to 13/8/2019.
The young men and women
who frame the activities of the H.
Metropolis and staff the parishes
with their qualifications, had the op-
portunity to experience moments of
relaxation and enrich their spiritu-
al knowledge by studying the Bible
and the Holy Fathers’ teaching, ded-
8
icating time from their vacations
and their activities.
In a pleasant Christ-centered
environment, focused on daily wor-
ship and liturgical assemblies, with
lectures and discussions with the
bishop, the priests, and the partici-
pation of a group of volunteers from
the United States of America, expe-
rienced theologians and teachers,
the young men and women got an-
swers to issues that concern them,
which in their turn will impart to
their ministry areas themselves as
catechists.
As we know, the institution of
camp is a way and place of socializa-
tion and coexistence of different in-
dividuals, where each one has their
own character and way of thinking,
creating a miniature of an orga-
nized large society. What unites the
members is their common faith, the
common chalice, possibly the same
interests, the same desires, and the
cultivation of the Orthodox spirit.
Campers are given the oppor-
tunity to develop their skills, per-
sonality dynamics, leadership skills,
while learning to live far from the
safety of their family environments.
Contact with nature, which is
truly a paradise, brings them clos-
er to the Creator God and teaches
them to respect it, listen to it, pro-
tect it, recognize the species of the
plant and animal kingdom, manage
it and only take what they need in
order to improve their lives without
destroying it.
Crafts and games, whenev-
er they need to relax, unwind and
work off the daily tension, are a way
to showcase their talents and pro-
mote cooperation, team solidarity
and mutual help.
This period under the auspic-
es of the Holy Metropolis, was truly
a spiritual refuge for the beautiful
company of the young attendees,
9
 as they experienced the meaning of
love of Christian life and learned a
lot of things about essential cate-
chism and Mission.
Some people argue that Ortho-
doxy cannot offer solutions to build-
ing a proper society, thinking that it
is simply a religion, which is wrong.
Orthodoxy is a communication of
persons relying on the real fact of
man’s search from God Himself and
not on man’s attempt to create a
god. A God who approaches us to
heal our passions, without us attrib-
uting human weaknesses to Him. A
God who comes to settle even earth-
ly affairs without restricting Him-
self solely to spiritual life.
Just as we cannot confine God,
10
so we cannot confine Orthodoxy.
Orthodoxy is not individual and
selfishness does not fit within it be-
cause Orthodoxy is steered by our
God and Savior Himself with His
Gospel and deals with the whole of
human existence. It does not sep-
arate the unity of spirit, soul and
body. Everything contributes to per-
fection and union with the Divine.
This fact of Orthodoxy is something
that we Missionaries live in our
ministry. We deal with the human
being as a whole. We try to offer
him everything, just as God offers
us everything. We strive to create
a society not of activists limited to
ideologies, events and groups, but a
real society without discrimination,
conflict, opposition and/or tram-
pling on the equality of persons.
All this and many more are
things that we lived during our stay
at the Camp. We proved that by sim-
ple means and things we can create
a society of persons without op-
portunism and interests, mine and
yours. We proved that we can coex-
ist in peace by uniting our powers
and our prayers as Orthodox Chris-
tians, praying:
«O Lord Jesus Christ our God,
the one who said, “Let the little chil-
dren come unto me”, bless them
and make them earthly angels in
this place / camp, which is like a
heavenly Paradise. Bestow the tran-
scendental virtues upon them, em-
bellishing them with innocence and
purity.
Grant to the Pope and Patriarch
Theodore II, role model of our Heav-
enly Father, health and longevity, so
that we can find in His loving heart
the rest we have been longing for.
Bestow Your heavenly power
upon our laboring brothers, work-
ing staff and volunteers, so that they
can carry out the ministry of this
hospitality, and grant that with one
voice and one heart we may glorify
and praise Your most honorable and
majestic name, of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now
and forever and to the ages of ages.
Amen”.
† Narcissus of Accra
11
 SIERRA LEONE
Missionary Journey to Sierra Leone
On Thursday, May 16th and
after many delays on the few flights
to West Africa, I arrived in Sier-
ra Leone’s capital, Freetown. The
name “Freetown” has been given to
the city since the time of the slave
trade. European slavers loaded the
boats with African slaves into the
city port under such miserable con-
ditions that the human mind could
not possibly capture, and headed
for Brazil and America.
In 1807, when the English were
forced to stop slave trade after the
international community’s disap-
proval, the ships that had already
set off for the new continent re-
12
turned back and freed the captive
slaves, who had now gained their
freedom. The first free slaves land-
ed in Sierra Leone, and for this rea-
son the capital of the country was
named Freetown, which means the
city that gave freedom to the en-
slaved Africans.
Among other things, Sierra Le-
one’s colonists made sure that the
country’s airport was remote and
inaccessible to protect it from any
possible revolutionary attacks. So
in order to get to the city after a dif-
ficult and long journey (at best with
two connecting flights) one has to
board a high-speed boat or a ferry
and cross the sea bay that separates
the airport from the city. One is
very lucky if the sea is calm without
strong winds or the tropical storms
of the Equator.
Once again, by the grace of
God, the protection of Our Most
Holy Lady and the blessings of our
Patriarch, I arrived at the port of
Freetown safe and sound. There I
was received by Fr. Themistocles
Adamopoulos and the holy cler-
gy of Sierra Leone. Due to the de-
lays and the local conditions, time
had already passed, so we headed
straight to our lodging.
Friday rolled along smoothly
overseeing school complexes, the
Academy, and having contact with
teachers, youth and volunteers. In
the afternoon we conducted the
Vespers service at the Church of
Saints Constantine and Helen.
On Saturday, May 18, the Di-
vine Liturgy was celebrated at the
Church of St. Moses the Black.
During the service, we had two ordi-
nations: one of Deacon Athanasius
Sesay as an Elder and another of the
teacher David Tholey to the Diacon-
ate. Addressing the young clergy, I
emphasized the importance of hu-
mility, prayer, obedience, reaching
out to others for Christ and giving
out of selfless love.
After the Divine Liturgy, His
13
 Eminence distributed sweets to
young children and then visited
all the areas of the Mission Center
including orphanages and nursing
homes, talked with all the teachers
as well as with the foster mothers
who take care of the orphans. What
followed was a festive event in the
large event hall.
On Sunday, His Eminence
conducted the Divine Liturgy and
preached the Word of God at the
Church of St. Eleftherios. After the
dismissal, he blessed the food that
was offered to more than a thou-
sand people. In the afternoon he
performed the Blessing service at
the newly built Orphanage within
the premises of the Saints Constan-
14
tine and Helen Mission Center. Af-
ter that, he was shown around the
orphanage, which will soon begin
operating under the care and su-
pervision of Ms. Mary Adams, an
Australian volunteer teacher. In
the orphanage courtyard the youth
organized a very beautiful and suc-
cessful festive event. The heavy
tropical rain that broke out so unex-
pectedly made the festivities stop,
but after about 60 minutes they
were continued with gaiety and en-
thusiasm. Then a dinner of love was
offered to all the young men and
women of our Church in Sierra Le-
one.
On Monday morning, May 20,
His Eminence visited the Ortho-
dox Schools, and talked with both
students and teachers. Next he met
with the holy clergy of the country
and gave proper counsels and in-
structions.
In the afternoon he officiated
in the festive Vespers Service at the
Church of Saints Constantine and
Helen.
On the feast day of the Equal-
to- the- Apostles, Kings and Em-
perors Constantine and Helen, His
Eminence celebrated the Divine
Liturgy and preached the Word of
God at the namesake celebrating
church. During the Divine Liturgy
he ordained as Elder Deacon Soter-
ios and as Deacon Teacher Emman-
uel Tonkie. In his address, His Emi-
nence referred to the great figures of
the celebrated Saints, to the historic
Decree of Independence issued by
Emperor Constantine which ended,
among others, the long and cata-
strophic persecution of Christians,
and to the great contribution of his
Mother Helen, including her find-
ing the Holy Cross of our Lord. Fi-
nally, he exhorted the new clergy to
have the celebrated Saints and all
the Saints of our Church as bright
examples in their lives and to be the
best example for their flock them-
selves. After the Divine Liturgy,
a meal of love was offered to the
whole congregation.
† George of Guinea
15
 CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
The Nkayi Orthodox Brothers are Grateful
Dear Friends of the Mission,
By the mercy of Almighty God
we communicate with you from dis-
tant Congo-Brazzaville, the country
that is bisected by the equator and
wetted by the waves of the Atlantic
Ocean, where the newly established
Holy Metropolitan of Brazzaville
and Gabon is headquartered, in or-
der to express the sincere gratitude
of the local Church and our little-
ness to all of you, the honorable
brothers, for your valuable practical
assistance through the well-known
Orthodox Missionary Fraternity to
the laborious missionary work that
is carried out in this corner of the
African land.
We never forget that the foun-
dation, statutory principle and pur-
16
pose of Mission always remain the
Lord’s Commandment-legacy: “Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to ob-
serve all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you always, even unto the end of
the world.»(Matt. 28: 19-20). This
meeting with our Savior and Re-
deemer Lord, which is not symbol-
ic but real, takes place in the Holy
Chalice, in the Thanksgiving gath-
ering. Consequently, through the
Divine Liturgy all of us, the heaven-
ly Orthodox faithful, become with-
out exception partakers of the Life
of Christ, while by receiving His
Body and Blood we are inextricably
united among us, members of the
One, Holy, Undivided, Catholic Or-
thodox Church.
The predominant place for the
celebration of the Holy Eucharist
was and still is/has always been the
church; the church, which is at the
same time heaven, while it sancti-
fies and unites people under a com-
mon faith. This miracle occurred
in Nkayi, the fourth-largest city
in Congo-Brazzaville, where the
Church of the Holy Transfiguration
of the Saviour and St. Cosmas of
Aetolia is located, which was com-
pleted just a few days ago. And this
miracle was achieved thanks to your
generous heart, which through our
Fraternity offered the money re-
quired for its completion.
The aforementioned church
building had remained unfin-
ished since 2010 for lack of fund-
ing. It was founded in 2007 by the
late blessed Metropolitan Ignatius
(Madenlides) of Pentapolis. Work
began on Monday, June 3, 2019 and
lasted three months. Given the dis-
tance of Nkayi from Pointe-Noire
(about 250 km) which raises pric-
es in goods in the town where the
erected church is located, the most
expensive building materials, such
as floor tiles, glue for their installa-
tion, wall-painting supplies, elec-
trical stuff, were purchased from
Pointe Noire to save money. 5,000
bricks, sand, gravel and cement
were purchased locally.
On Sunday, June 9, 2019, we
 celebrated the Divine Liturgy in
blessings of the construction work
that was just beginning. The grati-
tude and joy of the parishioners was
indescribable, since they would
have their own beauteous church ,
to which we have also added a bell
tower which was not planned, as well
as men’s and women’s toilet facili-
ties and a parish priest’s office. This
joy culminated on September 29,
2019, the day on which the sacred
inauguration service took place.
Honorable brothers,
The Orthodox Mission needs
the creation of churches, since the
number of the Congolese who dis-
cover Orthodoxy «which has grace
and power» - as they say when they
first appear before us - is growing,
18
so they need houses of prayer to
worship true God, be taught the
immaculate Orthodox faith and be-
come candles of light themselves
for their fellow countrymen.
In Congo-Brazzaville, with
struggle and pain, with prayer and
patience, with effort and labor,
churches were made to glorify the
name of the Triune God and con-
vey the message of the Resurrection
to this beautiful people. The Lord
blessed us to establish seven parish
communities with corresponding
churches, three of which were un-
finished for lack of resources, upon
our establishment in the country
(February 2013) as the First Shep-
herd of the neophyte local church
of Brazzaville, while in the north
the faithful, most of whom belong
to the most ancient tribe of Pyg-
mies, gathered in a rented house to
pray.
But «The Lord God of hosts
is alive»! (3 Kings 17: 1)! During
the past six years (2013-2019), the
Impfondo Church of St. John the
Forerunner was erected from the
ground up and was inaugurated on
February 5, 2017), while two more
magnificent church buildings have
been completed and inaugurated in
Pointe Noire, one dedicated to St.
Photini (May 6, 2018) and anoth-
er to St. Demetrius. The latter is the
beauteous Cathedral, which was in-
augurated on February 17, 2019 by
His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch
of Alexandria and All Africa Theo-
dore II).
Holy Transiguration Church in Nkayi,
sponsored by our Fraternity
According to the words of our
Lord and Savior, the purpose of
the Church is man’s sanctification.
Consequently, no one can claim to
have been saved by Christ, to have
lived his personal resurrection,
while turning his back on those
whom the God-man Jesus called
His brothers, namely the least. Be-
loved brothers in Christ, help to
complete and build more churches
in Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon,
to hear more orthodox bells ring in
Africa, the continent of the future,
disperse the darkness of demons,
and let the Light of Christ shine
“before men, so that they may see
your good works, and glorify your
father who is in heaven. Amen!
† Panteleimon
of Brazzaville& Gabon
19
 CONGO (DRC) - Goma
A New Diocese in the North of the Congo
By the Grace of the Most Holy
God, the Holy Diocese of Goma was
established in November 2018, and
I was appointed as the new Patriar-
chal Commissioner of the Diocese.
The Holy Diocese of Goma is lo-
cated in Eastern Congo and consists
of two provinces, those of North
and South Kivu. With a total area of
24,553 km2 and 12,427,000 inhab-
itants, Goma is the worst afflicted
Congolese region with 25 years of
war, illnesses such as the fatal ep-
idemic of Ebola and a very high
death toll, a region full of desperate,
helpless, hopeless souls. It is in this
region that the light of Orthodoxy
rose with the foundation of the Di-
ocese in order to bring hope, peace,
strength and life to these humble
souls. Glory be to God for all things.
20
With the blessings of His Beat-
itude the Pope and Patriarch of Al-
exandria and All Africa Theodoros
II, we arrived at our missionary seat,
i.e. the city of Goma, the capital of
North Kivu, the Center of our Dio-
cese. What did we find? Neither a
home, nor a church, only the good
souls of about thirty-five catechu-
mens, a Greek citizen and many
tears of joy and hope from the af-
flicted souls who had been waiting
for us to hear the word of God, to
attend a Divine Liturgy so as to keep
the flame of their hope lit. On Palm
Sunday, we conducted the first Di-
vine Liturgy in a school classroom
which was kindly given to us for
that day, and we were able to preach
the word of God.
We moved around our diocese
so as to get a general idea of the
whole situation from our partners
there and plan our future course.
We set off on our journey from the
capital of the South Kivu province
Bukavu, where we were impatiently
awaited by a group of catechumens,
to whom we conveyed the blessings
of our Patriarch and distributed
various books on Orthodoxy.
Next we visited the town of
Kamanyola, where we met with Fr.
Demetrius Rizikis, priest of the St.
Vasilios parish community in Uvira
and the faithful of the Annunciation
parish in Kamaniola region, where
the Divine Liturgy is occasionally
conducted by Fr. Demetrius. The
parish there consists of nearly 200
faithful and catechumens.
Our next stop was at the city of
Uvira, at Fr. Demetrius’ parish. We
went to St. Basil’s Church, a big tem-
ple with a school building, where
we were welcomed by many people
thirsty for the word of God. Here
we should point out that the build-
ings were constructed by Fr. Dam-
ascenos of Gregoriou during his
missionary ministry in the region.
Finally, we went to the Holy Me-
tropolis of Burundi and Rwanda to
meet His Eminence Innocentios and
be enlightened by his experience, as
this region had been under his spiri-
tual jurisdiction for quite some time.
During our inspection tour,
with the help of God and the bless-
ings of His Beatitude, apart from the
Divine Liturgies that we performed,
21
 we preached Orthodoxy and con-
versed with the faithful and the
catechumens wherever we found
them, crossing rivers, lakes, forests
for the name of our God. We man-
aged to baptize the first Christians,
19 neophytes in Goma, and we per-
formed the sacrament of marriage.
How great our Almighty God is!
On the same day when God enlight-
ened us to baptize our first Chris-
tians in Goma, we had an episode.
Along with our catechumens, we
went down to Khufu Lake, where
we would perform the baptisms,
set up our table, and while we were
about to get started, the local peo-
ple, who had not seen a priest in
black before, thought we were sor-
cerers and called the police. When
the police came, they neither did
nor asked anything; they were just
watching us along with the inhab-
22
itants, and they said: they are not
sorcerers, they have crosses on; they
must be Christians, but not like the
others. Despite the big waves of the
lake, we did manage to perform the
Holy Mystery of Baptism. When we
had finished, the inhabitants who
had called the police, humbly asked
us to baptize them. We told them
that catechesis precedes baptism,
and God willing, their wish would
be eventually realized.
Our diocese has 12 parish com-
munities, two priests, three church
buildings, and one school. There is
a lot of work to be done, particularly
in this heavily afflicted area, but we
believe that with the help of God, the
blessings of His Beatitude and the
support of warm-hearted people we
will make it. May God bless you all.
Fr. Chariton Musungayi
Patriarchal Commissioner of Goma
 MALAWI
Devastation in Beira
Dear friends of Mission,
It is with great joy and gratitude
that I contact you, since I know your
charitable heart and great interest
in the advancement of the Ortho-
dox Missions.
My brothers, let me ask you, is
spiritual fruition in our diocese pos-
sible if the roofs of our churches are
hole-ridden? Definitely not.
Good-hearted Christian broth-
ers, fellow Cyrenians in the min-
istry of love, I regret to announce
that one historical church of our
Patriarchate in Beira, Mozambique
– which has been entrusted to my
care, built with toil and sacrifices by
Orthodox Christians 110 years ago,
has suffered great damage from the
deadly cyclone that struck the re-
gion.
We kindly knock on the door of
your hearts and ask in sorrow and
pain. Please help us to the extent
possible with the restoration of this
holy church so that sacred services
can be celebrated there seamless-
ly and souls can be driven into the
eternal kingdom of our Savior and
Lord Jesus Christ.
We thank you in advance for
your prompt, earnest interest and
support to our struggle.
† Photios of Malawi
23
24
25
 TANZANIA - Dar Es Salaam
10th Mission Seminar in Tanzania
Like every August, the 15 -day
seminar of catechetical sessions
was held this year, focusing not only
on simple issues of our faith, which
form the foundation and the core
of the two thousand -year -old his-
tory of the Orthodox Church, but
also on the Holy Fathers’ experi-
ence. Once again, the seminar was
hosted by the parish of the Holy
Cappadocian Fathers Arsenios and
Paisios (the Church was construct-
ed in 2005 by His Eminence Met-
ropolitan Dimitrios) in the city of
Morogoro (which is the seat of our
Mission Center), with Fr. Cleopas
Bachuda in charge in cooperation
with my humbleness).
The seminar started at the be-
ginning of August with the first
26
group consisting of women, and
continued from the 14 August on
with the men’s group. The faithful
came from the Morogoro region.
The reason why we had two groups
instead of one was no other but lack
of accommodation spaces.
Thus, as a matter of fact, we
had no other option but to use the
church as a classroom for the cat-
echetical sessions as well as the
Medical Clinic for our faithful to
sleep at night and rest to the extent
possible, since you can imagine the
living conditions: all the faithful on
the cement floor, on plastic mats,
women and children. Of course you
are going to tell me that these peo-
ple are accustomed to such condi-
tions since most of them come from
the Maasai tribe, who are used to
sleeping on the ground.
Therefore, the seminar start-
ed on Saturday 10th August, and
for the first time there were audio-
visual means used for a more effi-
cient consolidation of the things
said during the sessions. It was
very successful indeed, which was
made evident by the large number
of questions asked on the part of
the participants, their dedication
and great interest during the ses-
sions, as well as by their joy and
satisfaction, which grew even more
when we announced our intention
to hold similar seminars at regular
intervals, not only to enable them
to enrich their knowledge on issues
of faith but also to have them get to
know each other better and make
them feel that we are all members
of a big truly Orthodox family.
This is how 15 blessed days
passed along with the simple-heart-
ed and destitute Tanzanian broth-
ers, who always have a smile on their
faces, which is definitely something
missing from the rich and “civi-
lized” contemporary western man.
One thing is for sure though: all of
us gained something from this sem-
inar. Glory to God for all things. Be-
fore closing, I would like to make an
earnest appeal to you all. Remem-
ber us in your prayers. May God
bless your works and families.
Monk Thaddaeus
27
 Kenya: a Fruitful Land
If we must specify the firm pil-
lar of propagation and empower-
ment of the missionary work in the
African continent, then undoubt-
edly we will refer to the Holy Dio-
cese of Nairobi, Kenya.
The man who envisioned and
founded this work was the late Ma-
karios III, Archbishop and Presi-
dent of Cyprus.
The facilities of the Holy Dio-
cese of Nairobi were constructed in
1958. In the same year the incum-
bent bishop of Nairobi, Makarios,
received an invitation from the late
Archbishop Makarios III to become
a teacher and later on undertake
28
the management of the Patriarchal
School of Nairobi. He was then still
a young layman. Nowadays, Bish-
op Makarios of Nairobi is a worthy
continuator of his predecessors and
does great missionary work all over
Kenya, which includes: 400 par-
ishes, 350 priests, 30 medical cen-
ters, nursery schools, 30 primary
schools, 18 secondary schools, or-
phanages, a College of Education
and a Patriarchal Seminary.
Another program of great
importance is the food program
for orphaned and indigent chil-
dren, which provides them with
breakfast and lunch and also cov-
ers the tuition fees for their ed-
ucation with a monthly spon-
sor contribution of 20 euro.
As Bishop Makarios says, the
two main poles for the outreach and
propagation of the Orthodox Mis-
sions both in Kenya and all across
the African continent are the Patri-
archal Seminary and the College of
Education. The priests and teachers
that graduated from these, staff the
parishes and schools all over Ken-
ya and other African countries.
Nowadays, the Orthodox faithful in
Kenya amount to one million.
In August 2019, together with
Petros Trikoupis, an undergraduate
student of Agriculture, we received
the rich and warm hospitality of His
Dr. Catherina Alexandrou, ophthalmologist, examining locals
Eminence in Nairobi on the prem-
ises of the Holy Diocese.
We had the honor and joy to
accompany him on his journey all
over Western Kenya. Our itinerary
included visiting Nakuru, Kisii and
Kisumu and the villages nearby. We
visited their parishes and we met
many people, warm, unassuming,
affable and friendly.
Along with Petros, we ex-
amined many locals with oph-
thalmological problems in mud-
hut-churches, and helped them
with portable equipment, eyeglass-
es and medicinal drugs. After our
tour, we also examined people at the
Diocesan Medical Center in Riruta.
As regards Bishop Makarios of
29
 Kenya, we have come to realize that
he has been a very influential per-
son in the field of Orthodox Mis-
sion.
He is:
• an affectionate father to
many orphaned and indi-
gent children whom he at-
tends every step of the way:
their childhood, their edu-
cation, their coming of age,
their personal happiness,
their children’s fruition and
generally, all their life de-
velopment.
• a tireless prelate who reg-
ularly travels all over the
country, having close rela-
tionships with his parochi-
al priests (who were previ-
ously his seminarians) and
teachers, as well as the Or-
thodox faithful. He is high-
ly esteemed, respected and
accepted by the people of
Kenya.
• a professor and at the same
time the director of the Pa-
triarchal Seminary with
great and important bibli-
ography.
• a cordial host, an unassum-
ing man with a great heart
dedicated throughout his
30
long service to ministering
to the problems and needs
of his people.
When our journey to Kenya
came to an end, we felt as if we had
been taught a great lesson!
Therefore, after these teach-
ings, one can easily realize that
happiness in this world is neither
unreachable nor far away from us.
All we have to do is reach out
and touch another person’s hand,
or simply smile at someone and we
get another smile in return. All we
need to do is open our arms, and we
receive a wide-open embrace.
If we realized that such simple
movements could make the whole
world vibrate, all misery and war on
this bedraggled planet would disap-
pear.
When human vanity peaks in
structures such as that of the high-
est skyscraper in the world, it is
because we do not realize that real
heights can only be found in the
humble and giving hearts of human
beings.
These are the heights that
please the heavenly world and give
cause for a great celebration up
there…
Catherine Alexandrou
Ophthalmologist, Board member
 Orthodoxy in Colombia
Dear Mission friends and
supporters,
It is with brotherly love that I
write to you in order to share with
you the story of the conversion of
me and my family to Orthodoxy.
In Colombia, Orthodoxy is
unknown. Most people are Roman
Catholics and are nescient of the
existence of the Orthodox Church.
In Roman Catholicism, priests are
not permitted to get married. My
wife and I wanted to devote our lives
to the work of God, but we wanted
to do so through the vocation of
marriage. A Roman Catholic priest
with whom we were aqcuainted
suggested our seeking Orthodoxy.
By studying the Holy Bible, we
came to realize that the true faith is
not with the papists, when we read
the following: “The Spirit expressly
says that in latter times some will
depart from the faith, giving heed
to deceiving spirits and doctrines of
demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy,
having their own conscience seared
with a hot iron, forbidding to
marry” (I Timothy 4:1-3). Thus, we
understood that this prohibition
had been imposed by people and
not by God! Glory to God, we found
the true faith!
In order to learn about
Orthodoxy, we traveled to
Venezuela and Argentina. There I
met some Serbian Orthodox and I
consequently went to Serbia, where
31
 I was ordained a deacon. Later on,
in Colombia, bishop Athenagoras
visited Medellín and invited us to
become members of His diocese.
Four years ago I was ordained a priest
by His Eminence Athenagoras, and
we have since striven for the growth
of Colombian Orthodoxy.
His Eminence Metropolitan
Athenagoras of Mexico is a very
good man who has greatly labored
for Orthodoxy in our region. He is
the man who opened the doors of
Orthodoxy to our country and has
sent many people to Greece so that
they can learn about Orthodoxy
in depth and communicate this
knowledge to their countries. My
eldest son is among them and is
currently studying Theology in
Thessaloniki.
32 Fr. Rafael officiating at a strawhut church
Our parish community lies in
Cereté. We celebrate the Divine
Liturgy once a month at my
parents’ house, because I live in
Medellín and the journey to Cereté
is 10 hours long by bus. Thankfully,
our community has grown a lot
and I will now move to Cereté
permanently with my wife and our
three children. This community,
however, is very poor and cannot
provide financial support to our
parish. Last June we conducted the
first Orthodox wedding. In Cereté
there are 300 Orthodox faithful, 40
of whom have been baptized and
the rest are catechumens. We want
to share the true faith with every
person who seeks the real Church
that preaches God’s love.
Fr. Rafael Padilla
 Bishop Germanos Galanis
A virtuous spiritbearer
The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity with lot of joy
is announcing the election to bishopric of its own child
and our brother in Christ bishop Germanos of Tamiathis
at the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.
We cordially pray that his God-bearing faith will flower with the
spiritual fruits of love, humility, simplicity, affection, wholesomeness
and countless other virtues on the holy path of his life.
Axios! Axios! Axios!

33
 In the Footsteps of a Saint
By Charalampos Metallidis, Board President

34
 T
he course of life of a person who cherishes inside of him a deep
love for Jesus Christ, the true God and Savior of the world, is indeed
a mystery. With these thoughts, I began with Mr. Nikos Aslanides,
an experienced journalist, dear friend, Missionary partner and member of
our Fraternity, to follow in the footsteps of the pioneer Elder and spirit-
driven founder of our Fraternity Father Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos.
We began our journey with him in secret, for it was in secret that he was
given the Grace and power by God for this work. Our purpose was to record
step by step the desire of this Saint to convey to the natives of Africa the
joyful message of the Resurrection of Christ.
He firmly believed that the time had come for Orthodoxy as divine
worship and faith to be proclaimed to the black angels, as he called the
natives. Being extremely poor himself like them and suffering due to
advanced age and ill and fragile health, he arrived in Kampala, the capital of
Uganda, in 1960, and put up his hut among those he loved so dearly, friends
and children.
It is up on a beautiful hill in Kampala that he built the first Church of St.
Nicholas. This beautiful church that overlooks the whole city, though small,
is well-made and graceful, built in a cruciform shape, with a high belfry and
windows all around. The late indigenous pioneers, seekers of Orthodoxy and
keepers of true faith and worship, are all buried around the church building.
Bishop Christopher Mukasa Spartas, Fr. Obadiah Basajakitalo, Fr. Irenaeus
Bangimbi, Bishop Theodoros Nankyama and others, devout, faithful, loyal to
Mother Church until the end of their lives.
The next day we made our way to Dijiye village, where the first Orthodox
Divine Liturgy was celebrated in 1933, by pioneer missionary Archimandrite
Nicodemus Sarikas. We went 4 hours deep into the country, passing by
endless plantations of corn and sugar beet rooted in the Nile basin. There
was so much green everywhere, so much light, so many children playing
and going to school! There was a smile on everyone’s face but also two
innocent eyes wondering:»what do these muzungu (white people) want in
our land with the stuff that they are carrying on them (cameras, stanchions,
equipment)?»
The natives are simple-hearted, kind people with a wide smile. They
open their arms to embrace you, and you, the “muzungu”, can see straight
into their heart, their pure, undefiled soul, the vast world of love, the creation

35
 of the Master Artist, the image of God.
This is what the Elder saw as well when he first came here: the
selflessness and purity of these people’s souls, the image of God, which is
why he walked many kilometers through the jungle. He sent thousands of
letters asking for help. «Son, I am writing to you from Africa. Please, come
over; I’m here (and I’m) waiting for you. Don’t be long.»
In a dying and shrinking Europe that kills thousands of children through
abortions, Africa remains alive and growing. Children walk around the road
every day and cover very long distances on foot to get to school, to acquire
knowledge, to receive education.
It is for these children that Fr. Chrysostomos made schools, which on
Sundays were turned into churches, a place of worship and devout reverence.
We traveled on bad dirt roads for many hours. It would have been
impossible to find the way if Fr. Stephen had not sent his son from Nakyaka
village to meet us and take us to the Church of the Annunciation.
The church building was large and spacious, covered with sheet metal,
like all the churches here. The reception the children gave us was friendly and
cordial, with rhythmic songs and drum beats. For years now, the drumbeat
of the natives, the rhythm, the body movements along with hand-clapping
and singing, have been a way of expressing joy, sadness and gratitude to God.
The next day we covered even more kilometers and reached Nakabale
village, with St. Paul’s parish. The school was situated next to the church and
the children were all neatly dressed in the same color.
St. Paul’s Church is in need of maintenance but the people are poor
and weary, and by no means could they afford to pay for the repair to the
church building and its maintenance. Their heart is pure and innocent, and
despite all their deprivations, they offered us bananas, beans and rice. They
consider it both an honor and an obligation to host you. They gave the bishop
a surplus of their love, a few beans, a few bananas and a rooster.
Late in the afternoon, being really exhausted after covering so many
kilometers, we returned to Jitsa, the city with the beautiful red brick church
on a small plot of land. The parish priest, who was there with his wife, was
a prudent, serious, educated person with a European mentality. Bishop
Sylvester has confidence in his abilities and great expectations of him. The

36
town is well built, with curbs and beautiful
houses. In the evening, we arrived dead-tired
at St. Lavrentios Orthodox Cathedral in the city
of Gulu, Northern Uganda. A beautiful church
indeed, built in the highest part of Gulu, bright,
with many windows and doors, a refuge for the
Orthodox Christians of the region.
Once again, we set off on our next journey
very early in the morning. We had to go through
endless forests and dense vegetation to meet a
tribe of natives speaking a different language,
which even the bishop did not understand.
Communication was held with the help of a
translator. There, after many hours, we were
welcomed by our Orthodox brothers who were
waiting for us with singing and dancing, holding
branches in their hands. The people here live in a
primitive condition, with the water being about 2
hours’ distance from the village. They have lived
in this region for thousands of years the say way
as their ancestors, and they live on fruit from
the trees and produce from farming in its most
rudimentary form. They have their mud-huts
around in the jungle and amidst them the large
church of St. Nectarios. The grace of the saint has
come as far as this place; may the Saint intercede
with God for them. A large church indeed, with
only three icons hung on its built icon screen;
even these icons along with the vessels of the
Holy Altar are borrowed, brought here by the
bishop. We started with the conduction of the
Matins Service, went on with the baptism of 70
people and ended up with the Divine Liturgy.
Both children and adults with patience, prayer

37
 and devout reverence entered into the church of Christ to be baptized and
become members of the spiritual body of believers in the big embrace of the
Orthodox faith.
After the Holy Eucharist was over, everyone was glowing with happiness
and joy because they had all received Holy Communion. They held in their
hands a sheet of paper bearing names of Martyrs and Saints of our Church.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy food was offered to us under the trees while
the children were waiting patiently for their turn to eat. When I asked them
why the children were not eating, they told me that according to their law, it
is the strong that eat first because they are the ones that will feed the weak.
They all show respect for the unwritten laws of the jungle. The chief of the
tribe, with his clothes and shoes patched with wire, spoke to us about their
needs, the lack of water and the need for a borehole in this area. The children
walk all day to get to the nearest school, which is about 10 kilometers away,
and receive education. We thanked him and left without giving any promises
very late at night.
On the return journey, my mind was running back to reunite with
these people, whose daily life is embraced by death, suffering and illness.
Mortality rates are high, there are no hospitals and clinics, and life is as it
was thousands of years ago.
My eyes grew heavy and my mind weary, sunk in thought, trying
to connect the images of the day. I could only see the eyes, the children’s
eyes that were following me. I erased my few thoughts in Saint Nectarios’
embrace. “Saint of love and patience, open people’s hearts, illumine their
minds and support us in this missionary effort «in the footsteps of a Saint».
We walked in the footsteps of the late Elder and pioneer missionary Fr.
Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, and we smelled the scent of Holiness. He
taught us that whatever is done for Mission, should be done it wholeheartedly,
without a single doubt about its rightness, with full confidence in God’s
promise «and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.»
We felt the Saint’s anguish and struggle for a better future, a better life, a
life grafted in with the power of Orthodox faith in the Black Continent. Elder
Chrysostomos whispered to us that holiness wants no signs but evidence
of spiritual greatness, sacrificial course, missionary action, and absolute
confidence in «May Thy Will Be Done.» ∎

38
 Gifts of God to Guinea and Malawi
Looking at the natural donations - such as those of Lake Niassa and the
Los Isles, which our Creator offered to Malawi and Guinea respectively -
and returning from the God-driven shipments of another two containers of
love and hope filled with 50 tons of humanitarian aid (food, ecclesiastical
stuff, stationery, furniture, clothing, and toys), I have come to realize that
these efforts as well are gifts of God, acts of His divine grace. It is He who
gives the mandate for Mission,» Go ye therefore, and teach all nations”
(Matt. 28:19). It is He who exhorts for mercy and charity,» Be ye therefore
merciful» (Luke 6:36). The Churches of Malawi and Guinea, their bishops
who receive the aid as well as the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and
its members at the Storehouse in Filyron are all His. Finally, the fruit, the
joy, and the peace that flooded the hearts of those who contributed to the
whole operation, all this is His Own gift.
Constantinos Metallides, Theologian-Board Member

39
 The Truth
The Church is the natural space
of love and peace, and it is wonder-
ful when this House of God is expe-
rienced thus, and only thus. It is this
God who willingly humbled himself
so as to leave this unique legacy on
the Wood of the Cross, admitting
first into His heavenly Kingdom
neither a prophet, nor anyone re-
nowned or well-esteemed by the so-
ciety where He lived and preached,
but the bottom-most thief, who was
badly hung on His right. This thief,
however, was His companion in that
final moment, when the circle of
the soteriological work was coming
to an end, and soon the great day
would rise and would bring to the
40
world the unknown until then law
of the Spirit, which would encap-
sulate all prophets and the word of
the Old Testament. How could this
Truth really be perceived by the hu-
man mind? Here there is no room
for “enemies”. There is only room
for brothers, and whoever loves this
Truth, let them try to experience
it in the place where those seeking
Truth may enter without discrimi-
nation. “What is the Truth?”
…I remember sitting at this
beautiful parish in the evenings
alone with the little children of the
makeshift church which we man-
aged to build despite numerous
temptations and which really made
history for the Mission here in Tu-
lear and in our hearts since it was
associated with the most emotion-
al memories from this land. Then
I remember the children joyfully
falling into my bosom, as if some-
body sent them to give you what
you never had in your loneliness. I
was athirst for those moments sit-
ting close to the fishermen who so
gracefully dropped their pirogues
into the cyan Indian Ocean. A stun-
ning painting of the memories of
this land is unfolding before me,
when like a dream I hear your voice
that so lovingly permeates my heart
and soul together with the late af-
ternoon southern wind. Let’s go, my
brother, the night has come. And
another voice in you: “Love. This is
the Truth.”
…Wait a minute, you say. Here
are the creatures I love above all.
And at this very moment Ι see ten
dirty, shabbily dressed half-naked
children with their hands stretched
out. Little shepherds, parched and
sunburnt, of the Masikoro tribe,
one of the two tribes I loved the
most on this land. But aren’t these
kids the same ones who stopped
you yesterday and stretched their
hands to you? Now along with
yours, one more hand is stretched
41
 towards these kids and a voice tell-
ing you: “see, you are not alone. Do
you hear me? I am with you to show
you what you went without in your
struggle for many years. Love. This
is the Truth.”
…We go to the hospital. The
kid is suffering, you say. He cannot
breathe or cope with his pain, which
is unbearable. Now your hands are
blessing it. “It will not live long.”
After two days, our kid went away,
Father. Our hands together bless it
for the last journey. “We now have
an angel in Heaven to pray for us.”
Your last words, the farewell kiss of
the Bishop to our new sprout that
42
has just departed. I have to translate
but I cannot do it anymore. Mem-
ories are unwinding like a movie
before my eyes, although imag-
es keep coming blurry. I am in the
sanctuary. Our 16-year-old boy,
Chrysanthos, has left us, but I can
still hear his voice greet me in the
churchyard. “Father, I am leaving”,
he is telling you now. “I’ m leaving,
but don’t cry, I’ll be with you. And
forget not, you are no longer alone.
And sorrow is ended. For you have
Love by your side. This is the Truth.”
How strange is this union of
death and life in our faith! Final-
ly, you cannot find the Truth any-
where, my brother, you say, but in
the Love of Christ alone.
We are together in this strug-
gle. You must doubt no more. It is
in Love that you start gaining an
understanding of Truth. And this is
really the fullness of Truth.
Evenings are wonderful by the
sea of Tulear. This sea of ours is
peacefully preparing to receive her
all-bright companion that has al-
ready been dressed in its carmine
tunic so as to meet her yet another
time under the charming starry sky.
The children beside you and in the
bosom of the respectable Father and
Bishop of the land fill you with sand
with their endless games, while the
pirogues enter the sea once more
in charming and haughty pride,
at full sail, in order to feed by the
grace and blessing of God these
wonderful creatures, who may be
poorly educated, but every day they
can teach you the principle of every
virtue and basis of every philosophy
and every good in this world. Love
and joy in it.
Your hand is gently tapping me
on my back; however, I don’t feel the
heavy and graceless hand of a “des-
pot”, but the hand of a real father
encouraging me and saying: Love
above all. For in it lies every Truth.
For this is the Truth in this
world.
Fr. Polycarpos of Hagia Anna
43
 Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos’s
Contribution To Christian Mission in Africa
By His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Kinshasa - Part IV
In August 1972 he was sent back
to Kolwezi by Metropolitan Kyprianos of
Central Africa, probably because the natives
had been fervently seeking his presence.
On August 7 he departed from Kasenga and
went to Kolwezi. Fr. Chrysostomos himself
writes, «With the consent and blessing of
His Eminence, I came back again, not as a
parish priest this time but as a missionary –
Missionnaire de l’Eglise Orthodoxe– for the
native people, who had been asking for my
return ...»
On August 13 he celebrated the Divine
Liturgy in Swahili in a plain classroom. Ever
since, he was performing it in the hall of his
house, where, as he says in his letters, lots
of faithful came on foot, even from afar.
As a catechetical tool, he used
the book «Catechism»by His Eminence
Metropolitan Germanos Polyzoides.
He writes: «I have distributed it to the
44
educated and the chiefs of the natives,
and they themselves, under my guidance,
catechize the majority. I am expecting the
consent of His Eminence of Central Africa
to begin baptisms or confirmation of the
newcomers into Orthodoxy so that we
can have the establishment of the African
Orthodox Church of Kolwezi. The number
of faithful may exceed 100. Meanwhile, the
two cities of Kananga and Mbuji-Mayi in
the interior of the country are anxiously
awaiting my arrival. «
On 12-6-1972 the sect «EGLISE DE
MYSTERE DE JESUS CHRIST» of Kananga
sent a letter to the Metropolitan of the
Orthodox Church asking to be catechized
and enter Orthodoxy. On 15-7-1972,
Metropolitan Kyprianos answered
seeking clarifications. He soon ordered Fr.
Chrysostomos to go to Kananga.
Fr. Chrysostomos arrived in Kananga
by rail in early October 1972 accompanied
by Sister Olga. On November 8, 1972,
the Governor of the Province signed the
approval of officiating for the Orthodox
Church Missionary in Kananga. The first
Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the house
where he lived.
He visited parishes and the
surrounding villages with the
accompaniment of Edmond Lukwete
Bakajika, the leader of one of the sects that
had invited him. He observed the world’s
desire for Orthodoxy. «Then,» as, one of
the first catechumens, Fr. Cyril Bakatufikila
writes: «he called the sect leaders and on
November 20th, 1972 at 4 o’clock pm. he
held an assembly, which was also attended
by the regional head of the Department of
Justice. He talked to them about Orthodoxy.
He was so convincing! His preaching was
so amazing that the people there had
never heard anything similar before in
Kananga, either by Roman-Catholics or by
Protestants. «At the end of the assembly,
Kabeya Noe, one of the attendees, said
that he would concede a plot of land on
Kamuandu Avenue to the Orthodox Church.
On December 12, Fr. Chrysostomos
performed his first baptisms and weddings.
On December 13 he set off for
Mbujimayi. There was a priest ordained in
Greece, Fr. Kalala Kalonsi. Unfortunately, on
the way the car got stuck in the sand due
to heavy rain. It is at that point that the
bleeding occurred. After being given first
aid, he was forced to stop the journey and
returned to Kananga to receive appropriate
medical treatment.
On December 25 it was difficult for
him to officiate, and the next day he was
admitted to a Kananga Medical Clinic. On
December 29, 1972, he delivered his spirit
to God. Three days before his repose, he
had told Sister Olga that in three days’ time
something important was going to happen.
There was no Orthodox priest to read the
funeral service. What he had answered
those who were telling him to return to
Greece finally came true: «I’d rather die
unglorified in Africa, than glorified in the
peace and silence of my cell. I can’t go away
from here; I don’t want to, something holds
me back. «
A few days later, Vicar General Fr.
Emmanuel Zoppas came from Lubumbashi
and went through the funeral service
over the grave saying, «My brothers, the
departed is not dead. He is alive. What
happened was God’s will.»
Indeed, Fr. Chrysostomos left this
world as a martyr, which reminds us of
his words: «Some people need to die as
martyrs to get our mission started.» And
this is what happened. He himself suffered
hardships for his faith and went through
his own martyrdom, shedding his blood on
the African land.
In Kananga he was succeeded by Fr.
Chariton Pnevmatikakis, with whom he
had a close friendship and a spiritual bond
since their ministry in Edessa; in Kolwezi,
by Fr. Amphilochios Tsoukos, who brought
John Aslanides, later known as Fr. Kosmas
Gregoriates, and Archimandrite Nectarios
Hadjimichalis. Finally, Fr. Athanasios
Anthides went to Mbujimayi in 1974.
In 1977 his exhumation took place.
Those who helped in it say the following:
Initially, permission was sought from
the state for the exhumation. According
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 to eye-witness testimonies, when the
grave was opened, they noticed that his
priestly vestments were intact and part
of the spine had not decomposed; it was
red and it was bleeding. Fr. Chrysostomos
Bakuatshibaso writes: “Fr. Chariton asked
Fr. Andrew Kayaya and me to hold the
box and a white sheet to cover the part
that had not decomposed yet. He put it
in a basket to lay it in the same grave.
«The same testimony is mentioned by
those performing the exhumation, Fr.
Andrew Kayaya, Gerasimus Kamgu and
Evarestos Musenge. The whole incident
was reported to Metropolitans Ignatius
of Pentapolis and Nikiphoros of Kinshasa
at an ecclesiastical assembly in Kananga
in 2016 by clergymen, some of whom had
witnessed the ceremony of exhumation.
Clergy and laymen also mentioned other
miraculous events, stressing the fact that
every time they invoked his help, he gave
it to them, and adding that to them he was
a holy man.» Besides that, they said that
whenever Fr. Chariton faced a difficulty, he
would go to the grave to ask for his help,
and he did receive it. Once he had reached
the point of preparing his suitcase to leave.
He only went to the grave to say goodbye.
He cried out in anguish, «Why did you bring
me here and you are not helping me out?
Don’t you see the difficulties that I’m going
through? I’m leaving this place.» Soon
though, he calmed down as if someone had
talked to him and reassured him that he
would overcome the difficulties he had to
face. We are told by Fr. Andrew, who was
present, «He turned around, unpacked his
suitcase and stayed.» This incident as well
as other similar ones were mentioned to
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us by Fr. Chariton himself on New Year’s
Day in 1986, when I visited Kananga along
with His Grace Bishop of Rodostolos and
the current Bishop Nathaniel of Amantia.
He also told us: «When I performed the
exhumation ceremony of Fr. Chrysostomos,
I took his relics, laid them on the throne
and exclaimed, “Fr. Chrysostomos, bless
your people.»
The missionary tree in Congo was
planted by the Triune God through Fr.
Chrysostomos, who watered it with his own
blood. Today we can feel his help coming
from heaven. His tree is growing and
bearing fruit. As regards his contribution
to Christian Mission in East Africa, those
engaged in ministry there could speak
better.
Finally, we could say that Fr.
Chrysostomos had not been sent by any
association or brotherhood, but as he
himself wrote on June 14, 1960, «It couldn’t
be otherwise.» The voice of our Lord and
Master Jesus Christ is compelling inside
me, and I simply had to obey despite the
protests of many people beloved to me.
The angel of the Lord always preceded me
and opened all doors, so that I would not
encounter any serious difficulty.
His ministry always had the blessing
of the Patriarch, as he believed that the
Mission work performed falls under the
auspices of the Patriarchate, which he
humbly served.
He outlined the goals, targets
and ways of action of our Patriarchate’s
missionary effort. He was practical as a
person, not a theoretical one. He moved
having full confidence in God.
He constantly wrote letters and
through them he not only updated people
but also stirred their souls, putting them
before their responsibilities regarding
Mission. In one of his last letters, in
November 1972, he wrote to a student,
deacon and spiritual child of his who
postponed his departure for Africa: “I
myself will definitely fight with all my power
on this battlement and I may die fighting
on the front line. You, though, as a brave
young man, at least undertake the task of
telling all our students and seminarians,
all our younger celibate clergymen, the
following verse of old Tyrtaeus to the
warriors of Ancient Sparta…” Shame on
you! You should feel ashamed for letting an
old feeble man die fighting on the frontline
while you, young men, stay on the backline”.
Not that I deserve or offer anything, I am
only an unworthy servant and earnest
worker of the Lord… But your struggle is
not meant for a low-wage job, it is meant
for something lofty, noble, eternal.”
The news of his death sounded like a
major spiritual earthquake all over Greece.
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece
issued circulars, declared March 18, 1973,
Sunday of Orthodoxy, in memory of Fr.
Chrysostomos’ sacrifice in all churches and
held a memorial service for him. Magazines
and newspapers had articles on him and
radio broadcasts stressed his missionary
work and his virtues.
Fr. Chrysostomos was not just a
remarkable person, he was the pioneer
who began the new era of Mission under the
auspices and blessing of our Patriarchate in
Africa, and was an inspirational role model
for many people in the rest of the Orthodox
world, Asia and America. ∎

The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity

“A Holy Course in Africa”

In sacred emotion, our Fraternity is inviting
you to a memorial and honorofic event
dedicated to the pioneer missionary of
Africa and spiritual founder of our association

Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos

(1903-1972)

on Sunday, 28 December 2019, 6 p.m.

at the Ceremony Hall of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

The event will host their Eminences

Metropolitans Makarios of Nairobi & Nikiphoros of Kinshasa

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