ROC Exarchate in Africa to begin construction of a new church in Tanzania

The Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa will begin construction of a new church in honor of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles in Tanzania. Patriarchal Exarch Metropolitan Leonid (Gorbachev) reported this on his Telegram page.

He said that on February 12, Archpriest Andrey Novikov visited a newly formed missionary parish, led by priest Elijah Mhando Katisiko.

Fr. Elijah is a member of the African Maasai people, and his missionary parish is located away from roads and communications in the Masai settlement. Previously, no one came here with a mission and a sermon.

Metropolitan Leonid said that Father Elijah had recently applied for admission to the Russian Orthodox Church and had been expelled from his church by the local Greek bishop.

Also, according to Vladyka, most of the inhabitants of the settlement have not yet been baptized. “We had a catechism and missionary talk with them, Father Elijah was given the cross of a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. Pectoral crosses and icons were handed over to those who chose to accept holy Baptism, and such people made themselves known already during the meeting,” the bishop wrote.

One of the elders of the settlement said he would provide his land plot for the construction of an Orthodox church and a parish house. “After a consultation, we decided to name the first missionary parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tanzania in honor of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, the Baptist of Rus, asking for his prayers in the matter of converting the Masai people to Holy Orthodoxy and baptizing them,” Vladyka said.

At the end of the meeting, a group of young Maasai approached Archpriest Andrey and those who accompanied him and said twice, "Welcome to our land!"

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Patriarch of Alexandria threatens to punish two priests of the Russian Church for their missionary activities in Africa.

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