The work of the Foreign Mission in the Holy Diocese of Katanga is progressing in difficult conditions. In these circumstances, the Orthodox Church is called to bear witness to the faith of a people who are plagued, as we have said in the past, by various sects and Christian denominations, which for many years have spread their nets and have led unsuspecting people away from the Truth.
For this reason, the concern of our Most Reverend Metropolitan is great. Seeing the rise of sects and various Christian denominations, he gives priority to catechism and to meeting the needs of the faithful for worship.
Thus, with the blessing of His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II and under the guidance of His Eminence Metropolitan Meletios of Katanga, we proceeded to the foundation of a new Holy Church dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos in the area of Kolwezi called Kamaniola. The money for the specific H. Church was donated to our Holy Diocese by a pious soul, a devout Christian from Greece.
On that blessed day that we celebrated the foundation of the new Holy Church, we noticed the joy on the faces of our Christians, which was evident. A lifelong dream was finally taking on flesh and bones. At the time of the service, young and old, praised God for this great gift He gave them.
Before the end of the service, His Eminence laid the foundation stone. All together, with great emotion, we prayed: “Ο Christ, strengthen your Church οn the immovable stone of your commandments”.
As a sign of love and respect for the person of His Eminence, for the foundation of the new parish, the Christians sang hymns and various Christian songs. They also gave their precious gifts, thanking His Eminenc, who stands by them at this time as well.
The new parish, after the completion of the church construction, will be able to meet the spiritual and liturgical needs of the Christians, who are currently deprived of them. At this point, it is important to emphasize that although these people are deprived of many material goods and financial resources, their love for God and the Church does not cease to exist. They eat once a day, but they do not whine to God. They constantly glorify Him and their characteristic is that the smile is never missing from their face, unlike other people who have it all but find it difficult to smile.
The missionary work of the Holy Metropolis of Katanga continues unabated. The efforts of His Eminence and all his associates, clergy and laity, are aimed at spreading the gospel message: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… (Matt. 28:19). They make a lot of effort and great sacrifices to support people in various ways. As the Blessed Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II once said in a speech, “ Mission in Africa means not only evangelism, enlightenment, but also, depending on the means and resources available, assistance to the poor, support for the poor needy patients, education of vulnerable children, non-negotiable respect for the basic needs of human beings.
The Church, therefore, travels through the centuries leaving its own testimony and its own message to the modern world: A Church without Mission is a Church without a mission.
Fr. Kosmas Thasitis Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Katanga
