THE PATRIARCH CELEBRATED WITH THE “GARBAGE CHILDREN”

On 17th February, the Feast of the Great Martyr Theodore of Tyre, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II, celebrates his Name Day, and from the first year of his ascension to the Throne of the Church of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark, to this day, he always celebrates with his spiritual children, the African Orthodox Christians.

So this year too, His Beatitude the Patriarch who is in the Republic of Malawi, arrived at the Holy Church of St Catherine in the Ndirande district of Blantyre, accompanied by His Eminence Daniel Metropolitan of Aksum and the local Bishop His Grace Fotios Bishop of Malawi, fort he consecration of the above Church.

The Ndirande area is one of the most degraded areas of the city, as garbage accumulates there from throughout the Blantyre region, causing residents of the area, especially young children, to suffer from serious diseases such as cholera, because of the contaminated water and the fumes from burning garbage.

In this area, the imposing Holy Church of the Great Martyr St Catherine was erected, donated by businessman Dimitrios Buckle, to whom the Patriarch expressed the gratitude and thanks of the Alexandrian Church.

His Beatitude was welcomed with shouts of joy and gratitude for the building of an Orthodox Church in their degraded district. Then, in a climate of devotion and reverence, the Patriarch and the concelebrating Hierarchs performed the service of Consecration and then the first Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, on the occasion of his Name Day.