Saint Chrysostom: The Voice That Never Faded

There are voices that distance and time could never extinguish. A unique individual who became the “voice” of Africa. A true missionary who conveyed not only words, but acts of love, hope, and light to a continent in need. The story of Saint Chrysostom Papasarantopoulos is the story of a voice that transcended geographical boundaries.

The new Saint of our Church, Saint Chrysostom, the Missionary of Africa, whose memory our Church celebrates on December 29th each year, was among the pioneering clergy and enlighteners of our African brethren, leaving an indelible mark.

He envisioned the re-baptism of his African brethren. His soul burned upon learning that these people were far from the truth and lived in falsehood and idolatry. The flame of faith burned deep within his soul. He wanted to fulfill his desire. He had left himself in the hands of God, and the voice of God guided him. He used to say:

I could not do otherwise. The voice of our leader and master is imperative within me, and I had to obey, despite the protests of many beloved ones. The messenger of the Lord went before me and opened all doors, so that I would not encounter any serious difficulty.

However, he thought that only by a miracle could he fulfill this purpose he had set in his mind. Before taking the great step towards Africa, he visited the Holy Land.

When he arrived at the All-Holy Sepulchre – writes Metropolitan Makarios of Nairobi and Exarch of Kenya – there, kneeling, he envisioned a profound re-baptism through his faith and devotion to the towering peaks of immortal victory. He wept, with rivers of tears, praying to remain devoted to his crazy, as he called it, and extreme decision to go among them and struggle with them. On April 24, 1960, as he notes in his diary, he arrived at the port of Alexandria and conclusively wrote his first thoughts:

I returned to my room and sat until 10 PM. May the Lord be glorified, who deemed me worthy to set foot on this black continent. May His grace be pleased to allow me to reach my destination and successfully complete my mission, for the glory of His holy name and His Church, for the salvation of many souls, for whom He sacrificed Himself on the Cross.

At approximately 60 years old, he left Greece and, with faith in God, set out alone, with health problems, for the evangelization of our African brethren. Without money, only with faith in God and love for people. He heard the voice of God and ran. He specifically said:

I am not worthy of anything, but let the work of Christ and His Church be accomplished. Lord Jesus Christ, for Your holy name I left my beloved homeland and all my comforts therein, without the support of my dearest brethren in Christ there, and I came here. Do with me what You will and as You will; may Your most holy will be done in all things.

He spread his wings and arrived where his desire was fulfilled. He finally set foot on the hallowed and blessed lands of Africa. His work was multifaceted and monumental, because through his sacrifice, the path for the Evangelization of Africans was opened. Saint Chrysostom said in a letter:

I advise you to work and toil for the love of your brethren, and moreover, to compel yourself, according to the divine preacher Apostle Paul, to toil, but also with discernment; for discernment is greater than all virtues.

Saint Chrysostom had open horizons to the messages from heaven that showed him how to work and how to guide the course of the entire ecclesiastical work.

In Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and also in Congo, he laid the foundations of faith. As a missionary to Africa, he transformed preaching into a life’s work, supporting communities and building bridges of culture and faith.

Through catechesis, the erection of Churches, charitable work, and medical care without discrimination, he became a true laborer of the Gospel and a friend of God.

His path was not strewn with rose petals and comforts, but with privations and, at times, unbearable loneliness, which stemmed not only from the difficult situation of the Africans but also from the Greeks and the indifference of the ruling Church of that era.

However, he did not tire, he did not give up, even when he was desperate and disappointed by people and their harshness. Where he saw that human comfort was nonexistent, he felt the presence of God strengthening him and keeping him upright, so that he could continue this great missionary work he had begun. He specifically said:

What have I offered to my Lord all these years? If I consider it, I think I will find a great deficit, and my assets? What shall I render to the Lord? Bless, O Lord, my short life, which You have still appointed for us on this earth, that it may be fruitful. Grant, O Christ, before we finish, that we may accomplish something.

For this reason, God, in the absence of people, spoke to him in various ways. With inner inspirations, with a movement of the soul. He spoke to him through daily events and through his preaching, which inspired Africans and strengthened them in the new beginning of their spiritual life within the Orthodox Church.

Many times, He spoke to him through the mouths of small children, who possessed purity of soul. But, primarily, God spoke to him through His silence, which silence of God is the language of the age to come. The Saint said:

Great emotions are not expressed, but only felt through silence.

God spoke to him through prayer and the Divine Liturgy, which opened new paths for him in the various countries of the black continent he visited, building the future of the Orthodox Church in those lands as well.

Through the letters we have in our hands and which are published from time to time, we discern the depth of his spirituality and faith in God, which enabled him to cope with such an endeavor. It was by no means easy in that era, when there were no adequate means, to embark on such an undertaking. Help was nonexistent, with very few exceptions. In his first steps – we read in his letters – he was immersed in the sea of foreign lands, which, inhospitable and ruthless, slowly eroded the spiritual fortitude of this great Missionary and martyr.

However, the more adverse conditions hindered his work, the stronger his heart beat, louder than bells, to convey the message of the Resurrection to as many people as possible. His love for people, for them to become faithful members of the Church, found ways to inform them.

His voice never faded. It resonates louder than ever before. Let us listen to it:

The Foreign Mission of our Church is now a reality. All pious Greeks must show interest and contribute. Africans are continuously converting to Orthodoxy, and this is the greatest opportunity for action.

It is, therefore, our duty to honor the figure of this Saint and for his example to become an occasion for our missionary zeal to grow, and for us to become people of love, offering, and sacrifice towards our fellow human beings.

In these difficult times we live in, the voice of the great enlightener of the African continent, Saint Chrysostom, calls us to vigilance, empathy, reflection, and a spirit of offering and sacrifice in the countries of Africa:

Not that I am worthy or that I offer anything. I am a humble and unworthy servant of the Lord. But why should many of the fervent young people who dedicate themselves to Christ, or at least some of them, not be here… Your struggle is not for a small position with a meager salary, but for something high and eternal.

People with missionary zeal, courage, and faith in God are needed to make the opening and imitate the example of Saint Chrysostom, as well as other contemporary Missionaries to all nations. Moreover, the voice of the Lord will be our companion at the beginning, and throughout our missionary journey and activity:

And behold, I am with you all the days, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Let us not rest content with the idea of internal mission alone, nor let us turn a blind eye to reality. There are people seeking the truth. Who are desperately searching for it. Perhaps the time has come?

Let us, therefore, listen to the voice of Saint Chrysostom, who is clear and utterly truthful:

Here, some must bear witness, for our mission to begin.

And so it happened: he himself was the first to bear witness and watered the African soil with his blood.

Konstantianis Kosmas