students and orphan children so that they can study at the university schools in Kinshasa and in other cities as well. Among these schools is our Orthodox Theological School, too. However, due to the economic crisis our Holy Metropolis cannot afford to pay for the poor and orphans’ tuition, and there is the danger of the children breaking off their studies. We would be grateful if there were donors through your fraternity who could support these young people through the educational sponsorship program.
Christenings
Our work of catechism is getting on well. A lot of Congolese express the desire to become Orthodox. Our catechizing teams, which consist of faithful members of our Metropolis and particularly students from our Theological School, are working feverishly. Pretty soon we are planning to have christenings. If you have names of donors who want to give orthodox names, we are expecting to know them.
Progress of works
As regards the progress of the works which you are funding, we would like to tell you the following:
The Holy Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Gungu has had its roof completed and the building works have almost finished. What is left is the painting, the iconostasis and the floor. I would also like to mention that it was particularly difficult for this work to reach this level of completion due to the fact that the site of the church is approximately 800, 000 km away from the capital, therefore, there were plenty of difficulties in carrying the building material.
The construction of the school in Cungu has been completed. What is left is its equipment with the necessary stuff. Next week partners of our Metropolis will go there in order to write down all the details concerning the completion of both works, those of the school and the holy church. As soon as we have news, we will inform you of their course again.
The multi-clinic: its construction is in process by collecting gravel from the river Congo through the boats. The basic building material, cement and iron, was carried from the capital Kinshasa through a riverboat.
Holy Church of Archangels and Taxiarchs in Kinshasa
The H. C. will be erected on our plot which is situated at the airport of Kinshasa. The Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa Theodore on the occasion of his missionary and pastoral tour in Congo laid the foundations of the Holy Church.
The purchase of the plot and the funding of the Holy Church were undertaken by the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, which the Patriarch remembered and thanked. We are ready to start, after we have settled a few minor matters of technical nature first.
Nikiphoros of Central Africa
