The Mission in South Sudan

His Grace Bishop Constantine of Juba and South Sudan departed on Thursday, November 13, by plane from Thessaloniki, where he had been a guest of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity.

During his first visit to Greece, His Grace held meetings with His Holiness Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki and His Eminence Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis, while also visiting the sacred shrines of Thessaloniki, holy monasteries in Halkidiki and Pieria, and Orthodox associations.

His Grace spoke at the Fraternity’s gathering and presented the missionary work and challenges of the Orthodox Church in South Sudan. He particularly thanked the Greeks for the decisive role they played in his spiritual journey and in the development of Orthodoxy in Africa.

He referred to Bishop Theodore Nankyama, who baptized, educated, and ordained him as a priest, to “Mama” Stavritsa Zachariou, and to Saint Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, describing them as the people who brought Orthodoxy to Africa.

He then described the conditions under which the Church currently operates in South Sudan. Despite significant difficulties (lack of church buildings, extreme temperatures, dangerous transportation), the missionary work is progressing, with thousands of people having joined the Orthodox Church, including many mixed-race individuals, descendants of the old Greek community.

The Bishop emphasized the need for the construction of holy temples, as liturgical life currently takes place under makeshift tents.

Finally, he underscored the importance of renovating the only existing church in the city of Wau, so that it can become the center of Orthodox life in South Sudan, stating: “We have built, we have planted the Church in the souls of the people; now we must also build the temples.”