Orthodox Missionary Fraternity is a supporting organization dedicated to helping the efforts of the Orthodox missionaries all over the world. It is a charitable association officially registered with the state of Greece, administratively independent, spiritually belonging to the Church of Greece and audited yearly by the municipal authorities of Thessaloniki.
Our Fraternity was established in 1963 under the name “Friends of Uganda” by the zealous missionary Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos (1903-1972), who first opened the roads of modern Eastern Orthodox Mission to Sub-Saharan Africa, when in 1961 he visited Uganda. The unprecedented experiences and imperative needs he faced made him write to his spiritual friends:
“Help me. People here are thirsty for Orthodoxy, for Christ, and they are hungry at the same time”.
A group of his friends responded to his call for help and formed the first missionary association in Greece in order to morally and materially help the missionary cause. From the beginning, our main activity has been collecting and sending money for the needs of the Missions, as well as spreading the call for Mission in Greece and elsewhere.
In 1978, our organization got the name by which it is known today, expanded and renewed its purpose to assist all the Orthodox missonaries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and America.
First and foremost, the Mission aims at spreading the Gospel, the joyful message “Christ is Risen”, and leading every soul regardless of race and language to their final destination, the Heavenly Kingdom. It is exactly the same purpose of the Church. Hence it has been so said:
The Church without the Mission is a church without a purpose.
Alongside the missionary activities, though, the missionaries also do a charitable work in the countries where they serve, relieving those suffering of poverty and pain, founding orphanages, schools, medical centers, organizing soup kitchens, drilling for water or otherwise sharing Christ’s love.
In all these, we have been supporters since the beginning and that’s why the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity and prominent members of its have been honored by the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa for their offer. The most honored and distincted one was the late Panagiotis Papademetracopoulos, a great benefactor of the Fraternity, who was awarded the Holy Cross of Saint Mark by the Patriarchs Nikolaos and Petros of Alexandria. Similarly awarded were Mr. Vaios Prantzos, former president of the Fraternity, Constantinos Daoudakes, founding member and for half a century a worker of the Mission, and Mr. Nostis Psarras, vice president.
All the members of the board and the Fraternity offer their services voluntarily, without any remuneration. After all, the biggest reward for us is to know that with your own help the Orthodox missionaries bring souls to salvation. Let’s keep on supporting them.
