LOVING VISIT TO THE PRISONS IN POINTE-NOIRE

On 6^th April, His Grace Panteleimon, Bishop of Brazzaville and Gabon, together with the Hierarchal Vicar General Fr. Miximos Oumba, Parish Priest of the Holy Cathedral of St Dimitrios in Ponte-Noire, Fr. Lavrentios Mpinga Parish Priest of the Holy Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Pointe-Noire, Fr. Silouan Nkounkou Parish Priest of the Holy Church of St Fotini in Ponte-Noire and colleagues of the humanistic effort, visited the prisons of the city to donate a large amount of personal hygiene products and foodstuff to the 300 and twenty-five inmates.

This donation was the product of the love of the Orthodox faithful of the three Parish Communities of the city, as well as of the Holy Diocese, who purchase all the above-named items.

At first, the Bishop was welcome by the police commander Mr. Pierre Pongui, Director of the Correctional facility, who expressed grateful thanks to the local Orthodox Church for its practical support of the inmates, and enthusiastically welcomed the proposal for the start of systematic pastoral efforts by the Orthodox priests, for the prisons.

Subsequently, His Grace had the blessing of meeting for a length of time with the inmates, men and women, to speak to them of the Resurrection of the Lord, the personal resurrection of each and every one, to give them words of support, love and respect, and to convey to them the paternal prayers and blessings of His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria.

The visit ended with statements by both the Bishop and the Director Mr. Pongui to the reporters from the State television, TVCongo.

 

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