Roads of Christ, roads of the Apostles, roads of love were the tours of His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch Theodore in Bukoba diocese, Tanzania, on October 18-21, 2021. He has a great love for all, but especially for Tanzania and Bukoba. This is the fourth time he has been to Tanzania and his third time to Bukoba.
The visit began on Monday, October 10, with his reception at the border parish of Saint Phanourios, Mutukula, where he was welcomed by the clergy and faithful of the Misenni province with a short jolly celebration.
The first big event was the visit to the Bishopric of Bukoba on Tuesday, October 19. A doxology was performed on his arrival at the Church of Annunciation, where he ordained 17 students of “St. Mark the Evangelist Seminary” and laid the foundation stone for the new Seminary building in the courtyard of the bishopric.
He then met with the priests and their wives, whom he addressed with paternal words of love and guidance. He offered an icon of Saint Nectarios to the priests and gifts for their family.
The morning schedule included the consecration for the expansion of the “Resurrection” Hospital with an obstetrics clinic and a pediatric one.
In the afternoon, there was a grand reception in Kayaga by the faithful of Karagwe and Kyerwa, who held flags and wore T-shirts with the face of the Patriarch and the coat of arms of the Patriarchate. Thousands of Christians flooded the area around Aristotle High School, where His Beatitude opened the doors of Saints Paisios and Porphyrios Church.
On Wednesday, October 20, we received the Patriarchal blessing during the Divine Liturgy performed at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Bukoba among a large congregation of people, clergy and laity. During the Liturgy, His Beatitude ordained the Vicars into Protopresbyters (Archpriests) and the first two spiritual confessors of the diocese. He spoke to the people of God about the power of the Mission and the work done by all those who passed through the African land to sow and cultivate the Word of Christ.
Specifically, as the Patriarch underlined, “the steps of the Orthodox Missionaries were not lost in the jungle. They stepped on the soil and the soil bloomed, it brought forth spiritual flowers which became trees for the suffering people to rest in their shade. They became rivers to quench the spiritual thirst of so many African souls.”
Going on with his inspired paternal address, the Spiritual Father of the entire African continent conveyed spiritual counsels to the Patriarchal Commissioner of Bukoba, Fr. Chrysostomos, emphasizing that the land of Christ should be cultivated. And if weeds come up, he ought not to be disappointed; the Lord will be near them, the tears of Our Lady will be the raindrops that will water the earth and will make the fruit grow.
Closing his speech, His Beatitude thanked the co-officiating bishops who were close to him, as well as Fr. Chrysostomos and his associates. The Patriarch characteristically stated that with their decision to go down to Bukoba and help the mission there, they prove the words of the melodist, “The Kingdom of God is not food and drink” but struggle, tears and self-sacrifice for the fellow man.
It was a great joy when the graduates of Saint Athanasios Patriarchal Seminary visited His Beatitude, whom he blessed, hugged with affection and thanked with his present.
The day was also arranged for a visit to Regional Governor Charles Buge, who warmly welcomed the Patriarch and was keenly briefed on the Patriarchate’s multifaceted work throughout Africa.
The most dignified reception of the Patriarch took place in Kasikizi by an innumerable crowd of mainly young Orthodox and other people, who wore T-shirts with his face, held flags and shouted cheerfully. In sight of this, Patriarch Theodore spontaneously began to sing the Resurrection paean “Christ is Risen”.
Then he inaugurated the Orthodox Summer Camp “Joy and Peace of Christ”, spreading joy and rejoicing to the faithful and especially to the young people and the multitude of children, since the camp was a gift of the Orthodox Church to them.
The day ended with a visit to the “Saint Sosthenes” Orthodox School, where His Beatitude was welcomed by 200 students, who were waiting for him and pleased him with their songs and dances. He addressed edifying words for their educational progress and their advancement in life.
On the last day, His Beatitude visited Saint Macrina Convent, which was built by Metropolitan Iakovos of Argolis of blessed memory, and was staffed with a sisterhood thanks to the personal interest of the Patriarch.
There, the Patriarch performed the rassophore tonsure service of two novice nuns and consecrated the new wing of cells, which was built under the watchful eye of Mother Abbess Theodora. The convent performs important missionary work in the neighboring “leper colony”, where those who have contracted HIV live confined.
Fr. Chrysostomos Maidonis Patriarchal Commissioner
