Consecration of Churches: The Miracle of Orthodoxy in Africa
For more than four decades now, I have been living and working on the African continent, where the message was truly planted and spread during the time when the now late Saint Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos served here. His presence here was not accidental, and certainly many, both in the past and present, were taught and learned lessons, and ultimately dared to come here to continue the sacred work of the evangelization of the tribes of the black continent.
Thus, the work he began under difficult circumstances, we continue, and certainly, always with his prayers and blessings, it spreads and is planted throughout the length and breadth of the African continent.
Therefore, in these efforts of ours, we certainly prioritize the construction of permanent holy churches, which are then consecrated with the established consecration ceremony. Naturally, the recent consecrations of both new holy churches were in different areas, but the Orthodox population belonged to one of the well-known Nandi tribes in the Diocese of Eldoret. Many people gathered in an atmosphere of deep love and faith. Truly for all of us, it was an event that transcended the usual boundaries of love, humility, and reverence, because it stemmed from the sincerity and sacrificial messages of simple people, who tirelessly and completely expressed the feelings of their devoted souls to the one and true God, the Creator of the universe.
One church was dedicated to Saint Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, and the other, in a central part of the city, to Saint Mark, the first Bishop of Alexandria.
What messages do they convey to all of us, the poor and sinful, through the faith and sacrifice of these remote souls, who are, in every sense of the word, in the middle of nowhere! Bishops and priests, deacons and seminarians, women and men, youth and children glorified God, because they saw yet another miracle here in Africa, as the Cross was raised, which will proclaim forever the victory over death, assuring the entire flock and those who will come later that they are on the right path. They have already secured the certainty that they have received a great blessing with the placement of the holy relics, and thus all the inhabitants of these areas no longer fear, as this cross will forever be an “unconquerable weapon.” The souls of those who now come to both these churches will hymn and glorify God, for from Him they will receive the triumphant joy of peace, redemption, and divine grace. With this Cross, therefore, they will continue their work and enjoy the fruits of divine grace, which perhaps follows steadfastly and unshakably, so that in the end they may reach the finish line as victors and heirs of an inexhaustible source of blessing and continuous security.
So many millennia had to pass for this exceptional and unique message to reach the souls of these people who decided to believe in this miracle, so vibrant and hopeful in their lives. Let us also reflect for a moment on how much all humanity benefited from the advent of God Himself and how many blessings we acquired for our own spiritual transformation! It is a mystery that we live daily, knowing that we follow in the footsteps of Him who ascended the Cross for the salvation of us all. It is an invaluable offering that reassures the souls of our brethren here on the continent of Africa, as they now feel that with the consecration of these two churches, the entire surrounding area has been regenerated and resurrected, for it is God Himself who founded His Church in all creatures and souls out of tenderness and love, for “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). And so, within this immensity of God’s love for all people, and in our case, the Africans, they receive through the mystery of His Church the special privilege of being counted among the called and chosen.
This would also be useful for our own people who will not get to know firsthand the grandeur of Foreign Mission and the collaboration that the new believers here receive with Christ and His Church. It is now a reality that as the devil sees the message of the Gospel spreading to those near and far, he becomes enraged and spies on how to find ways to dissolve and destroy it. However, our people here, as they embrace and live the mysteries of our Church, are reformed, renewed, and spiritually reborn. For God now lives and moves within them. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Thus, it is also with our people in the two areas where the two churches were consecrated: one sees the change taking place within their souls, unreservedly impressive, deep, and sacrificial, for now they have Christ Himself dwelling in their hearts, and thus “those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 33:1).
Nairobi Makarios
