Missionary Activities in the Holy Metropolis of Arusha
With feelings of deep gratitude and spiritual joy, I address you, the esteemed members of the Orthodox Foreign Mission Fraternity of Thessaloniki, who with sacrificial love constantly stand by the Holy Metropolis of Arusha and Central Tanzania. The mission in the heart of Tanzania is a daily struggle of faith, service, and practical love. It is a journey through challenges, deficiencies, and difficulties, but at the same time, it is a journey full of miracles of God’s grace. In this struggle, your Fraternity constitutes a valuable fellow traveler, support, and comfort.
With the donation of the Fraternity, houses were built for the priests serving in the villages of Masege and Mapogoro. In areas where living conditions are particularly difficult and basic infrastructure is minimal, securing a decent residence for the Priest is a necessary prerequisite for the stable pastoral presence of the Church. This care for the support of the Priests and the establishment of ecclesiastical life in remote villages does not operate in isolation but is part of a unified missionary perspective. In every new missionary outreach to an area, the Holy Temple and the Priest’s residence are founded in parallel, as two inseparable pillars of the pastoral presence. The Temple constitutes the center of worship and sacramental life, while the Priest’s residence ensures his permanent and living presence among the flock.
It is precisely within this logic of an organized and integrated ecclesiastical presence that the great step we are taking in Dodoma, the new capital of the country, is included. There, where until now the Holy Sacraments have been celebrated in a borrowed university hall, the need has now matured for Orthodoxy to acquire its own spiritual home. The new Church, along with the Baptistery, the parish priest’s residence, and the necessary auxiliary spaces, is being built with the generous donation of the Fraternity and will constitute a center of worship and catechesis, as well as a point of reference for dialogue, philanthropy, and the spiritual support of the people who live and work in the capital, establishing the institutional presence of the Orthodox Church in the administrative and spiritual center of the country. In a city where the most important decisions for the future of the place are made, Orthodoxy is called to bear witness with sobriety, theological completeness, and a spirit of service.
At the same time, by the grace of God, the construction work of the Holy Cathedral of the Theotokos in Arusha continues, a project that is progressing with the help of the Fraternity. The Cathedral is destined to become the heart of Orthodox life in the region, the spiritual center from which all missionary activity in Central Tanzania will be nourished. So far, the structural framework has been completed, the roof remains, while plastering and interior preparation work are simultaneously underway. The road to completion is still long, but your love gives us strength to continue with steady steps.
However, missionary work is not limited to the construction of churches. It also dynamically extends to the field of education, because we know that knowledge, when accompanied by faith and ethos, transforms people and society. With the funding of the Fraternity, the teachers’ room at the Ibumgo village school was created from scratch, while renovation work was completed in the other classrooms. With your support, a borehole for drinking water will also be opened, giving children the opportunity to drink clean water and continue their struggle for learning.
Equally valuable is the stable monthly funding of the polyclinic at the Iringa Missionary Center. The polyclinic constitutes a unique source of free medical and pharmaceutical care for thousands of people, regardless of race or religion, in an area where distances are great and medical facilities are minimal. With a pharmacy, internal medicine and pediatric departments, a microbiological laboratory, and gynecological care, the polyclinic daily becomes a place of pain relief and a living testimony of Christ’s love for every suffering brother.
Through all these projects, we naturally also look to the future. We want to share with you another vision of the Holy Metropolis, which we entrust to divine providence and look forward to your love and support.
In the area of the Arusha Missionary Center, near the Bishopric and the Cathedral of the Theotokos, we envision the construction of a multipurpose spiritual and educational center, a vibrant place where in summer it will be filled with the voices of children and young people participating in camping activities, while during the rest of the year it will host a Theological Seminary, a center for learning ecclesiastical arts, and a Technical School.
The Technical School aims to provide boys and girls with skills that will accompany them throughout their lives. Boys will be taught carpentry, electrical engineering, computer use, and basic construction techniques, while girls will be trained in sewing, cooking, and other practical arts. At the same time, the Theological Seminary will constitute the spiritual core of the entire endeavor, cultivating young men and women with an Orthodox mindset, love for service, and zeal for the Mission. The coexistence of the school and seminary shapes well-rounded personalities capable of contributing to society and creating a better future.
The creation of dormitories will allow children to live in an organized communal environment, where they will participate in sacred services, learn to cooperate, respect rules, and develop spiritual and social maturity. Their lives will be connected with faith, education, and practical training.
With your love and absolute trust in God’s providence, we continue our ministry, knowing that missionary work is not human, but the fruit of the unity, sacrifice, and prayer of all of us. Your valuable contribution strengthens the Orthodox witness and makes the Church’s presence vibrant, active, and fruitful in the heart of Africa. We thank you warmly for all you offer, so that the light of Christ may shine in every corner of the world.
