Volunteer missionary team
From 17 August to 9 September, a five-member team of volunteer missionaries from the Orthodox Church of America, led by Protopresbyter Michael Micklos, visited the Holy Metropolis of Zimbabwe. For the most part, the team was engaged in the formation of clergy, clergy candidates and catechists/catechists and analyzed a variety of theological topics in youth and women’s congregations.
Consecration in the Greek schools
On the occasion of the beginning of the third and last quarter of this school year, His Eminence celebrated Holy Water at the Hellenic Academy on Wednesday 2 September and at the Hellenic School on Wednesday 9 September. During his stay at the Greek Schools, he supervised the progress of the works for the completion of the Greek Academy and met with the architect who undertook the design of the Holy Church of Our Lady of Chrysomirousa, which will be erected within the Greek Schools, giving her the necessary instructions so that the construction of the Holy Church can begin as soon as possible.
Peanut butter production programme
On Tuesday, September 2, His Eminence visited the region of Murewa and specifically the village of Chitate, where the Holy Metropolis supports the initiative of the women of the region to produce their own peanut butter, with peanuts that they grow on their own land. A manual peanut butter making machine was donated to the women’s association of the area, so now they are able to produce the product themselves and sell it on the local market.
Construction of an aqueduct
In the same village, the Holy Metropolis took care of drilling and then constructed a small aqueduct to supply water to the whole village. The construction of the aqueduct was done inside the primary school and the expenses were covered by Protopresbyter Dimitrios Zarifis from Almyros Volos.
Construction of a kindergarten
Finally, the Holy Metropolis of Zimbabwe undertook the construction of a kindergarten in the same village and the guardian of the 550 pupils of the local primary school. Remarkably, in this school the pupils have not used notebooks and pencils for the last 8 years and the teachers do not even have chalk. The last time they were able to write text on the green boards was five years ago. Stationery and toys were distributed to the student youth and food was distributed to all the local residents.
Foundation stone deposit
On Thursday 3 September e.e., the Venerable Monsignor of Greece. Metropolitan George of Zimbabwe laid the foundation stone of the Church of Our Lady of Jerusalem, in the village of Dunga, in the region (near the border with Zambia). The Holy Church is being built on land donated by the chieftain of the area. The builder of the Church is Mrs. Kalliopi Perdikoulis, a member of the Orthodox Centre “Poreuthenes”. After the ceremony, gifts and food were distributed to all the villagers. It is noteworthy that for the first time an Orthodox Church will be erected in northern Zimbabwe.
New student mission abroad
On Wednesday 9 September this year, five students, members of the youth of the Zimbabwe Missionary Centres left for Kenya. One of them is a student in the third year of the Patriarchal School of Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus, one in the second and three in the first year. Also on Wednesday, September 23rd, three new students, who will be studying in the first year of the Patriarchal School Athanasios the Great’ in Alexandria, left for Egypt.
New missionary nursery in Chinoi
His Eminence visited the city of Chinoi and gave the blessing to start catechisms and congregations in the house of Michael Tiniisk, a graduate of our Patriarchal School of Alexandria. He also visited the municipal clinic and donated eight boxes of medicines that arrived from Cyprus in a container sent by the Limassol Co-operative Savings Bank. Medicines were also donated to state hospitals in the capital as well as to the Ministry of Health.
Pastoral tour in Botswana
His Eminence visited Botswana from Saturday 19 to Tuesday 22 September e.g. During his stay there, he met with the presidency of the Greek Community, visited and celebrated Holy Mass in the homes and businesses of the Greek community and on Sunday he celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the Orthodox faithful there. Finally, he visited and celebrated Holy Mass on the plot of land acquired by the community for the construction of the first Orthodox Church in the country.
