Acting Patriarchal exarch for Africa ends visit to Tanzania

DECR Communication service, 11.03.2024. 

The acting Patriarchal exarch for Africa the bishop of Zaraisk Constantine paid an archpastoral visit to Tanzania fr om 1st to 8th of March 2024. During his visit, the bishop in concelebration with the local clergy, conducted acts of worship and performed the sacrament of baptism in parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tanzania, met with the Russian ambassador to Tanzania and representatives of the local authorities and held meetings with the local clergy. In addition, the bishop visited a children’s home wh ere the acting Patriarchal exarch for Africa, together with Russia House, distributed humanitarian aid.

Accompanying bishop Constantine on his visit were the director of the missionary department of the Patriarchal exarchate for Africa Father Georgy Maximov, student of the Saint Petersburg theological academy archimandrite Zacharias (Mulingwa) and aide to the bishop V.V.Dendyuk.

With the blessing of the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony, the secretary for inter-Christian relations at the DECR hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov) was part of the Russian delegation fr om 1st to 3rd of March.

At the airport the bishop and those accompanying him were met by the Russian embassy advisor in Tanzania and director of Russia House A.S. Bondarchuk and the consul of the Russian Federation in Tanzania R.V. Farafonov.

Upon arriving in Dar-es-Salam bishop Constantine spoke at Russia House at a conference on the place of Africa in the past and present, organized by the Russian Centre for Science and Culture together with the Africa Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences, reports the exarchate website.

On the same day the Patriarchal exarch met with the Russian ambassador to Tanzania A.L. Avetisian and the director of Russia House in Zanzibar M.V. Pateyeva.

On 2nd of March bishop Constantine paid a visit to the Kisarawe Orphanage Centre. With the help of Russia House, the bishop distributed humanitarian aid to the children at the orphanage. On the same day he visited in Kiserawa the educational centre for the exarchate for Africa. He led a prayer service at the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina on the territory of the centre.

On 3rd March on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, the acting Patriarchal exarch for Africa, in concelebration with the local clergy, headed the Divine Liturgy at the parish of the blessed Matrona of Moscow at Russia House in Dar-es-Salam. Attending the service were A.L. Avetisian, the director of the Russian ministry of defense representation in Tanzania vice-admiral L.V. Sukhanov and Russian embassy advisor and representative of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation A.S. Bondarchuk.

On 4th March bishop Constantine headed the Divine Liturgy in the Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker under construction in the village of Kimamba near Kilos. At the end of the service the bishop baptized thirty local people.

In the evening the head of the exarchate held a meeting with the clergy of the central deanery of Tanzania.

On 5th March bishop Constantine traveled to Bukoba wh ere he met with the head of the local regional administration of Kagera Fatma Mwassa.

Then the bishop visited the parishes of Saint Anthony the Great in the villages of Nyakahama and the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmo and Damian in Mhadjwala where he held prayer services. At the parish of Saints Cosmo and Damian after the service bishop Constantine placed his signature on an antimension and presented the parish with a set of liturgical vessels.

On 6th March the acting Patriarch exarch for Africa, in concelebration with the local clergy, headed the Divine Liturgy at the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the village of Bugaza. At the end of the service twenty-five Tanzanians were baptized.

Also on the same day a meeting was held with the clergy of the northern deanery with bishop Constantine presiding.

On 7th March in the town of Bukoba bishop Constantine baptized twelve people in the waters of Lake Victoria.

On 8th March on the eve of Commemoration Saturday of Meat-Fare Week at Russia House in Dar-es-Salam the bishop served a short service for the departed. Praying at the service were the advisor to the Russian embassy in Tanzania and representative of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation A.S. Bondarchuk.

On the evening of the same day bishop Constantine departed for Moscow.