THE PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA ON A MISSIONARY JOURNEY THROUGH WEST KENYA

           On 14th May 2016, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa continued his pastoral and missionary journey to the districts of Kenya, going by air to the Kisumu area which is near Lake Victoria. His Beatitude was welcomed at the airport by Bishop Athanasios local Bishop of Kisumu and Western Kenya, together with crowds of faithful who came to Kisumu from the broader region of Western Kenya to attend the next day’s enthronement of the above-named Hierarch..

           Immediately thereafter His Beatitude the Patriarch went to the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos IGONYI where crowds of Christian women were awaiting his arrival to receive his blessing and so His Beatitude walked a long distance so that he could bless the crowds.

           Note that this Holy Church was sanctified in 1994 by the late blessed Patriarch Parthenios III of Alexandria, who was accompanied at the time by the then Bishop Theodoros of Cyrene the present Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria. In commemoration of today’s visit, the Alexandrian Primate planted a tree in the yard of the Church and spoke with great enthusiasm to all present.

           He then went on to visit the adjacent Spiritual Centre which is being renovated and His next stop was the Orthodox High School of the Apostle Mark CHAVOGERE, one of the best in West Kenya, at which young people from the surrounding areas study. After he was welcomed and taken on a conducted tour of the school by the Headmaster and the Staff, His Beatitude spoke to the pupils regarding the value of education in their lives and sat at a lunch with them.

           To conclude, the Alexandrian Primate went to the distant district of KAPKECHUI belonging to the Nandi tribe and performed the Sanctification of the founding of the first Orthodox male Monastery in Kenya, in the name of St Anthony the Great and spoke on the life of this important saint and founder of Monasticism.