The event of our Brotherhood took place on Saturday 28 December 2019 with great success, tribute to the pioneer Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos , entitled “A Sanctified March in Africa”. The friends of the Mission flocked from early afternoon in the Ceremonial Hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, to honor the memory of the spiritual founder of our Brotherhood. Among others, prominent figures of the ecclesiastical and political life, such as His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veroia, Stavros Kalafatis, Member of Parliament of Thessaloniki, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, as well as representatives of the local Church and the Orthodox Christian brotherhoods of our city, were present. The event began with a video greeting by His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Mr. Theodoros.
The programme was intended to highlight the personality and work of Fr Chrysostomos, therefore the main speakers were His Eminence Bishops Macarius of Nairobi and Nicephorus of Kinshasa both experienced missionaries and bishops of the local Churches founded by Father Chrysostom during his twelve years of activity in Africa. The two prelates spoke in a succinct and meaningful way and emphasized the virtues of the blessed missionary and the great difficulties he faced at the beginning of his enormous work.
The event was interspersed with topical melodies and challenging musical performances by the women’s choirs of the Orthodox Christian Brotherhood “Christian Hope” and “Agia Kassiani the Hymnographer” of the I.M. of Neapolis and Stavropol. Their participation in the event inspired the audience and set a tone of joyfulness and celebration.
During the program, the audience had the opportunity to watch for the first time short excerpts from the new documentary by journalist Nikos Aslanidis entitled “In the Steps of Elder Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos”. The well-known journalist travelled to East Africa last autumn, together with the President of the Board of Directors of our Brotherhood, and traced the places through which Fr. Chrysostomos passed, talking to his spiritual successors about his great work and sacrifice. The short projection took the audience on a journey to places authentic and close to the peoples so loved by our blessed founder.
At the height of the evening, our Brotherhood wanted to honor the attendee of the event His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilochios of Gano and Chora (Tsouko), a civil missionary for almost fifty years and direct successor of Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulou in the country of Congo, and awarded him the highest spiritual distinction of “Missionary to the Nations”. The great missionary greeted and spoke heartily about Fr. Chrysostomos, about his relationship with our Brotherhood and about the new work he is now doing in Eastern Thrace, where he is rebuilding the Holy Monastery of St. John the Theologian.
Our Brotherhood thanks all the participants for their excellent presence, which honored the memory of the blessed missionary. We hope that this humble event will inspire other workers to step out into the vast field of missionary work. After all, it was through such a simple event that 60 years ago Father Chrysostom learned about the Church of Uganda and decided to give up everything to be close to his black angels and give them his Life and his life.
The pioneer missionary Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulou, eternal memory!
