Dear brothers,
Rejoice in the Lord. I would firstly like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the recent congratulatory letter which you sent to my unworthiness on the occasion of the completion of twenty years of prelatic ministry, in the land of the African continent. All these years your Fraternity has benefited us in many ways, not only financially but also with the publication of my texts in your magazine, since the time I was still a layman. Everything happens for the glory of God and His Church.
I put my humble thoughts down in writing today and I make a special request to all of you. It is the first time in the course of the Mission that we have not paid the salaries of our priests and we have not given them the standard Christmas bonus, either. For three consecutive months, neither the priests nor the employees and the teachers of our schools have been given their salaries. I indicatively mention those of our Patriarchal School, the Teachers’ College and our Primary School, all of which are operating within the premises of the Metropolis.
It had never even crossed my mind that one day after more than thirty years, I could be writing such a title. This is indicative of the critical economic condition which we have reached, since now that I am writing to you, at the Patriarchal School as well as at the Primary school we eat entirely “on credit”on a daily basis, which means we have not paid the people who cook for us every day so that we can operate properly.
Is it possible? Yet, these people know how consistent we were to our responsibilities, that is why they tolerate the whole situation and are silent, hoping that, as in the past, this way now, some donor will be touched and ease our pain and anxiety.
The Holy Metropolis of Kenya is regarded as and it is the biggest in the African continent. Briefly we remind you that we have 300 parishes, 250 priests, 30 Primary and Kindergarten schools, 15 High Schools (Junior and Senior), 30 medical centers, a Patriarchal School with seminarists from lots of countries of the African continent and a Teachers’ College. They are all operating properly thanks to the personal care and spiritual guidance of His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa.
I am making an appeal for your immediate support, especially on the matter of the payment of the salaries of our clerics, even fifty or one hundred Euros a month, if you can, so that we can take a short breath, or anything that you consider manageable on the part of your Fraternity.
We hope that by the grace and help of God, you will become the good Samaritans in order to support us so that we can continue our work, which is a work of love, sacrifice and offer towards our brothers in Kenya.
We thank you in advance for your contribution and love.
With wishes and love in the Lord,
† Makarios of Kenya
