From the Mission in Ivory Coast
His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel of Accra attended the Meetup of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, where he described the laborious missionary work in West Africa.
He narrated how the Orthodox Church in Ghana was established in 1972, when indigenous Christians sought Orthodoxy on their own and knocked on the door of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
He referred to the great problem of water scarcity, which the Orthodox Church is trying to alleviate by constructing wells accessible to everyone regardless of religion. He also spoke about the Saint Nektarios Clinic being erected by the Holy Metropolis to provide medical care to the residents, as well as the 35 parishes in Ghana that need immediate maintenance.
With particular joy he recounted the miraculous event of the conversion of an entire group of 5,000 heterodox Christians to Orthodoxy led by Father Pachomios.
“Twelve priests and ten deacons came, found me and told me: ‘We are not a canonical Church, we want to come to the Patriarchate of Alexandria which is the ancient throne of Christianity in Africa.’ They themselves asked to come to the Church! This was a miracle for me. This group found us again, just as had happened in 1972 in Ghana!
After a whole year of catechesis and after proper procedures, their reception into the Church took place through holy chrismation and recently the 22 ordinations took place. Christ guides all things within the Church!”
His Eminence noted that among the newly illumined is the president of the High Authority for Good Governance of Ivory Coast. At the same time, during his recent visit he laid the foundation stones for four more Orthodox churches as well as the first monastery.
Subsequently, he referred to the large group of immigrants from Syria and Lebanon living in the country, 8,000 of whom are Orthodox. Following their request to the Metropolitan, the Lebanese community undertook the construction of a new Holy Church, where a priest invited from Lebanon will serve.
Finally, the Metropolitan of Accra informed that on June 16, nine newly ordained priests and a total of 24 people from Ivory Coast will arrive in Greece for pilgrimage to the holy shrines and especially to Mount Athos. They will also visit the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, which he thanked for the container with humanitarian aid being prepared to be sent to the Holy Metropolis of Accra on June 22.
Watch the best excerpts from the Metropolitan of Accra’s presentation in the following video.
