Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya
It is for many decades that I have been dealing with the life and work of late pioneer missionary Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos. I was not blessed to meet him in person, but, I believe that the Divine Providence brought him into the path of my life in another way when I was still a teenager. In the catechetical sessions and in the religious groups when I was fifteen years old, we were told about Foreign Church Mission. Fr. Chrysostomos was a classmate of Cypriot youths at the time, deacons and priests, such as the first Orthodox African theologian, Fr. Theodoros Nankyama, later Bishop of Naucratis and finally first Metropolitan of Uganda. These frequent references in the catechetical schools and in the foreign mission, encouragedall, made us open our wings and, just as we were teenagers, we began to dream that one day we would fly and go to Africa as missionaries. Even though such an idea sounded like enthusiastic youthful pulses, in the end, it seems that Divine Providence acted and directed our steps to this so dear to us space called Africa, especially to East Africa.
Among the various events that we all worked on as students in order to promote the work of Foreign Missions in East Africa, was raising money to build the first Mission Center in Kampala, Uganda. It was then that some money was collected, which was sent through the Vicar of the then Holy Diocese of Kition, Archimandrite Nicholas Sideras, who was a classmate and friend of Fr. Chrysostomos’. Fr. Nicholas invited Fr. Theodoros, another young classmate of his, to visit us in Cyprus and talk to us about the work being done in East Africa. Indeed, Fr. Theodoros Nankyama came to our island and reported in detail about the missionary work in East Africa to the faithful in the catechetical schools and groups, as well as in his sermons in various churches of the city of Limassol. I remember that, personally; I had hardly missed any of his speeches. I would ride my bicycle and go to the churches and places where Fr. Theodoros Nankyama would speak•••about foreign mission, especially about the work being done in East Africa and I would listen to him speak with great zeal.
Among the stories he told us – and he said that with great enthusiasm – was about the presence of a Greek missionary, Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos. I remember him stressing it because he himself believed that the presence of Greek missionaries in East Africa was necessary. So, moved by enthusiasm myself, I asked him to give me the address and the exact name of Fr. Chrysostomos, that Greek missionary in the area of East Africa. I took it and, without wasting any time, I wrote him my first letter, which is dated – based on his letters and the copies of my own letters that I have – shortly after his arrival in Africa, in 1961. I used to write the letters I sent to him in a large notebook for record purposes – I wonder how I got the idea from the age of fifteen to keep a record of the letters I wrote. Like him, I also had a great love for correspondence. I wrote to him again and again and Fr. Chrysostomos would always write back. Our correspondence lasted until the eve of his death. Suffice it to say that he wrote his last letter to me when he was already in Zaire, days before he died.
Fr. Chrysostomos was looking for assistants. In fact, in one of our conversations, he encouraged me, even though I was still very young, to go to Africa, attend the Greek high school that existed in Arusha at the time, finish it and then stay there to help him. He had this desire. Our correspondence lasted twelve whole years and is, I would say, a quite revealing correspondence. I believe that not even Father Chrysostomos himself could have imagined that one day I would come to East Africa and, in some way, continue the work that he had started. Even I could not then understand that God’s providence would lead my steps to this so dear, unknown to me until then, area of East Africa. Searching through my file, I found these letters. As an example, I am quoting his first letter to me, dated September 20, 1961:
“My dear child, Andreas, rejoice in the Lord. Although almost three months have passed since I received your so enthusiastic and touching letter of 25/6/2016, you have not escaped my memory at all. The delay is mainly due to my struggle with the heavy, for me, climate of these otherwise beautiful tropical places, which are evergreen with an eternal spring all year round. They host me, but I have constant and strong headaches, and July and part of August affected me really badly. Now, with the help of God, they have calmed down considerably and I can feel somewhat better. Another obstacle is the loads of work for our Mission, especially as regards correspondence. Even now, I have before me a huge pile of unanswered for months letters, and I have left several behind in order to answer yours. My joy is immense for the missionary zeal shown by you as well as by other youths from Cyprus and by all the youths who write to me from Greece, who send me enthusiastic letters. When I was young, we were very few youths who were illumined/enlightened and inspired by our Lord Jesus Christ and made the great movement, and with the instructions of a few spiritual fathers, we had the creation of the Catechetical Schools. And today the blessing and grace of the Holy Spirit has filled the entire Greek world with a multitude of holy spiritual fathers and conscious Christian theologians as well as other scientists and scholars, and with hundreds of thousands of fiery Christian youth, male and female.
“Who could possibly tell How soon the fruit Would climb the branches… »
This is what our late poet George Veritis wrote some decades ago. If he were alive today, he would be at a loss for words before such a multitude of spiritual fruit.
But let us also make our acquaintance, as your young soul desires. The Christian friend and spiritual father writing to you is Christos Theod. Papasarantopoulos. He was born in Vasilitsi, a poor little village near the historical place of Koroni in the Prefecture of Messinia, Peloponnese. From the age of 5 he loved letters, but his poor family could not send him beyond the 4th grade of Primary School, which the village had. Fortunately, his guardians did not keep him, of course, but let him enter the Monastery at the age of 16, where, with God’s enlightenment, he learned to understand Ancient Greek, this immortal heritage of humanity, particularly the original texts of the Old and New Testament and those of the Church Fathers. He remained a novice until he joined the ranks of the Greek Army at the age of 20. His military service lasted for 29 months. When discharged, he returned to the Monastery and became a monk and, a little later, Hieromonk Chrysostomos. He served all the years in the Home Church Mission, and at an advanced age, after meeting with the black brothers, he finished Theology and came here alone only to pave the way for the new missionaries, always with the Lord’s cooperation. He has got 59 years loaded on his lean shoulders.
Fr.Theodoros Nankyama is here now; we live together and work together. We have also built the first cells of the first orthodox missionary Monastery and we are awaiting the labourers, because there is a lot of work here.
So, my dear Andreas, go ahead by the grace of our Christ and always with His help. If the Lord lets me work for another 8-10 years, I will be happy to hand over to you, Andreas Tylirides from Limassol, Cyprus, the continuation of the/this holy work. May the All-loving God grant His blessings to all the Christian children, to all the good children of Limassol and to the whole world.
With the love of our Christ
Arch. Chrys. Papasarantopoulos”.
There are also other people who corresponded with Fr. Chrysostomos and gave me from their personal archives letters that he had written to them. Here is an excerpt from one of his letters to his friends:
“Dear friends”,
Despite being very tired from the few- day journey and the things that follow it (a lot of talking, thirst, poor eating, deprivation of the minimum midday rest and others) I wish to make you as soon as possible partakers of the spiritual joy and satisfaction that the Lord has made us worthy of this morning on the Feast of Candlemas at the Divine Liturgy. What I will tell you will be a practical answer to those who distrust the missionary work of spreading Greek Christian Orthodoxy that is being carried out here. Stand up and march courageously and bravely after your decision to raise the sacred flag of Mission. Be steadfast, immovable “missionaries” , generous suppliers and self-sacrificing defenders of this holy front, where the most glorious Christian battle of our days is being fought. Do not be afraid of ‘any fear’ from within or from without…’
However, in order to complete and see among the hundreds of letters he wrote as soon as he set foot on African soil, he writes on June 13, 1960:
“Here is your friend in Christ Fr. Chrysostomos, Missionary in the depths of Africa. Who could have imagined such a thing when we first met with all our good friends in Thessaloniki about 15 years ago?
Great is the power and grace of God and our Savior Jesus Christ! “Why am I so favoured……..? I am no one; and which is the house of my Father’s so that I was made worthy of offering something to Christ?
And yet, the Lord sent His angels and they removed every obstacle, so that I could reach here without any serious difficulty. It was very moving indeed and brought me to tears when during the journey I saw the doors opening one after another, like those of the prison where St. Peter the Apostle was held in captivity.
So, from this distant land I greet my old dearly loved friends of Thessaloniki and I sincerely ask them to wish and pray that the Lord will enlighten and strengthen me so that I can work a little for the glory of Him and His Church here where I came, obeying His secret command. The local Metropolitan Nicholas of Irinoupolis was very pleased and entrusted me with the post of the General Secretariat of the Mission. The Foreign Mission of our Church is now a fact. All devout Greeks should show their interest and willingness to offer help and support. Africans are eagerly joining Orthodoxy and now it is the greatest opportunity for action…”
to be continued
