The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity has completed 60 years of creative missionary presence. The timeless values that it conveys to all the missionary teams in every part of the world remain stable and undefiled in its historical course. Values such as the worth of man, respect for human life, recognition of self autonomy and freedom of the individual, solidarity with the poor and the suffering, social justice and equality, voluntary offer and ministry are some examples of the values it serves.
One of the greatest values of the fraternity is respect for our fellow human beings. Without it, nothing good can exist and no other value can be developed in order to reach the top of the virtues: love, the unity of all people, forgiveness and tolerance, aiming at peace and reconciliation between God and man. Man always remains in pursuit of these values for his happiness.
The Fraternity honored these values with an event dedicated to the 60 years of giving, love and sacrifice in the field of Missions overseas. This event titled “Memorial of Holy Missionaries” was held at the ceremony hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on December 10, 2023, in the presence of four bishops from East Africa.
Like every year, the following Missionaries visited us at our monthly gatherings in order to present to us the work that is being done in their missionary divisions.
Metropolitans Geron Makarios of Nairobi, Daniel of Aksum, Ignatios of Antananarivo, Myron of New Zealand, Bishops Timoteo of Assos, Polykarpos of Bunya, Silvestros of Jinja, Agathonikos of Arusha, Chrysostomos of Bukoba.
We also received Metropolitans Athenagoras of Mexico, Chariton of Kananga, Meletios of Katanga, Theodosios of Kinshasa, Ieronymos of Kampala, Bishops Cosmas of Constantiane, Nektarios of Gulu, Photios of Malawi, Themistocles of Nicopolis, Prodromos of Toliara, as well as fr. Paul Petit-Homme from Haiti.
The Fraternity continued its philanthropic and social work in the year 2023, an absolutely necessary and of vital importance work for the support and relief of every human being suffering in the course of their life. Dear brothers, let us also listen to the words of James the brother of God, who states in his letter:
“If, for example, a brother or a sister is naked and deprived of the daily food, and if one of you says to them, ‘go without worry, be warmed and filled’, but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? And faith, if it does not have works, is dead alone.”
| PROGRAM | AMOUNT (rounded) |
| General expenses | 221.000 |
| Humanitarian aid (2 containers) | 81.000 |
| Baptisms | 19.000 |
| Clinics | 38.000 |
| Churches | 183.000 |
| Orphanages | 17.000 |
| Water pumps | 62.000 |
| Soup kitchens | 43.000 |
| Schools | 90.000 |
| School aid | 10.000 |
| TOTAL | 764.000 |
Regular members of the Fraternity visited the missionary division of N. Zealand and the Fiji Islands. They offered their services and ministered to the needs of the whole work of the local community and received, as is always the case, with reference to the whole work, much more than they gave.
• Dear friends of the Mission. Missionaries are often confronted with various problems of the local society to which they must provide solutions. The values of life in many societies and nations present complexity, strangeness, peculiarities, primordial traditions, anchored deep inside the souls of people, culture, morals as well as paradoxical and impenetrable customs.
In his daily struggle and calvary, the missionary is called to face, among other things, problems such as covering the salaries of priests in each parish, polygamy, marriages at a very young age to much older people, population displacements, hunger-malnutrition, diseases, violence and illiteracy, child mortality and political instability…
Schools and education are a main priority for the fraternity. The goal is not to create children with only scientific training, but to create people with knowledge of values, which lead to the knowledge of the truth, laying the foundations of a healthy society for a better world.
| R | Program | Project | Amount | Status |
| 1 | Clinic | Clinic | 10.000 € | Planning |
| 2 | Clinic | Clinic at the orphanage | 10.000 € | Planning |
| 3 | Church | Holy Trinity church | 30.800 € | Completed |
| 4 | Church | Ascension church | 20.000 € | Planning |
| 5 | Church | Saint Lawrence church | 20.000 € | Masonry |
| 6 | Church | Saint Anna church | 31.000 € | Finishings |
| 7 | Church | Saint Athanasios church | 35.000 € | Masonry |
| 8 | Church | Theotokos Nativity church | 21.000 € | Finishings |
| 9 | Buildings | Jinja Spiritual Center | 25.000 € | Framing |
| 10 | Water pump | Mlabalasi water pump | 5.000 € | Completed |
| 11 | Water pump | Weda water pump | 5.000 € | Completed |
| 12 | Water pump | Ntuli water pump | 5.998 € | Completed |
| 13 | Water pump | Gulu water pump | 5.000 € | Completed |
| 14 | Water pump | Gulu water pump | 5.000 € | Planning |
| 15 | Water pump | Uganda water pump | 5.000 € | Completed |
| 16 | Water pump | Katanga water pump | 5.500 € | Under construction |
| 17 | Water pump | Malawi water pump | 9.700 € | Completed |
| 18 | Water pump | Malawi water pump | 6.000 € | Completed |
| 19 | Water pump | Andarmymaky water tank | 6.000 € | Completed |
| 20 | Water pump | Mahabyka water pump | 4.042 € | Planning |
| 21 | Schools | Kakerere school | 69.500 € | Last phase |
Behind every number, there are faces and images of God; it is their life that we are trying to improve, which could not possibly be achieved without your help and support. Every day, hundreds of children die from starvation and lack of clean drinking water. The Fraternity Mission has played an important role in shaping positively the lives of poor people in the third world countries. It educates, feeds and raises children in their difficult societies, and helps them not only to survive but also to live with dignity.
The problem of the society is not that it cannot feed the poor, but that it cannot satiate the greed of the rich.
Charalampos Metallidis
Board president
