Dear friends of the Mission, In September we had the visit of doctors from Cyprus, under the guidance and organization of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kition, who had previously visited us, offering their medical services to the poor people, who live isolated and far away. This is a great offer, because due to weather conditions the state does not send doctors to these areas. Last month there were more baptisms in the southern part of the country. In the Tuliar region, in many villages there were indentured persons and they were patiently waiting for the day when they would receive the grace of God, the sacrament of baptism. As always, the days of baptism are days of spiritual joy and everyone rejoiced, young and old, in their spiritual rebirth. In several villages where there is a holy temple, baptisms were held in the swimming pool, while elsewhere they took place in the sea or in rivers. It was a great event and was celebrated spiritually and materially with rich meals. At the end they all received a few gifts, clothes that the love of Christians sends us from Greece from time to time.
Also, with the blessing of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros, the inauguration of the Church of the Holy Sephiroth of Theotokos took place. The inauguration service was quite long, but it was a first for all the people, since it is not often held. The ecclesiastical seminary this year hosted 15 students who came from different parts of Madagascar. This seminary prepares future priests and catechists who will consolidate our many parishes that lack a pastor. The large influx of people into Orthodoxy has created many parishes that lack not only pastors but also holy temples. Already with the help of God and pious donors, two new Holy Temples are under construction and we hope that they will be finished and operational soon. This July, another school was inaugurated in a remote area. This was also donated by a pious Christian from Thessaloniki. Missionary work is the work of God and especially of the Holy Spirit. Strange things happen many times that we do not even hope for or imagine, whether material or spiritual, and thus the Church progresses to the glory of God.
Many times we face various difficulties and problems that seem insoluble in human terms, but in a miraculous way God gives the solution, as the Gospel says “with temptation and deliverance”. Let us hope that God will present other workers in his harvest, for indeed the workers are few.
† Ignatius of Madagascar
