Church inauguration in Ivory Coast

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, With this letter I wish to inform you that on Sunday 13th September we celebrated the inauguration of the Holy Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Exactly one year after we laid the foundation stone ( 11 September 2008 ) . For this purpose and with the reverent blessings of our Patriarch I made a five-day visit to this country. As you will see the said Holy Church is almost ready. All that remains is the installation of the glass in the windows and some corrections in its painting. Of course, some furniture and utensils are still missing, for which I could not cover the cost. ( I have told you about them on previous occasions ). The Missionary Centre is also about ready. What remains to be done is the installation of windows, windows and doors, the painting of the interior and exterior and the furnishing of the building with furniture and all the necessary things. The courtyard will be paved, after we leave some parts to plant flowers and greenery. On both sides we will construct gutters to allow water to run off the plot when it rains. I preferred to do the dedication now, because the faithful have suffered enough for so many years without a Holy Temple and I did not want them to remain still in such an ordeal, after all the Holy Temple is almost ready. The opening ceremony and the first Divine Liturgy in the first Orthodox Church on the Ivory Coast were held with order and decorum, with the participation of many faithful and invited representatives of the government, churches and other actors. You noted that the country is going through an election period and all our prayers to the Lord were that love, prudence, cooperation would prevail for the good of all who have been so afflicted by six years of civil strife in the recent past. I am sending you photographic material both from our worship gatherings and from the recent view of the newly erected buildings. Also a copy of my speech in English and French. Please kindly inform the anonymous donor, as well as all members of Your Fraternity. Warm thanks are expressed by all, the priest Fr. Jeremiah and the Ecclesiastical Council of the Holy Church of the Resurrection of Christ, as well as the small flock of this Orthodox Parish in Abidjan. My humble thanks are also expressed to all of you for everything. With love of Jesus Christ our Lord

+ Damascene, Bishop of Ghana