COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS OF A HOLY PARISH CHURCH OF THE METROPOLIS

With the grace of God, the last unfinished Holy Parish Church of the Holy Metropolis of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon was completed. This is the Holy Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord - Saint Cosmas the Aetolian in the city of Nkayi, the fourth most populous city in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville.

The above-mentioned Church has remained unfinished since 2010 due to a lack of funds. It was founded in 2007 by the late Metropolitan Ignatius (Mandelides) of Pentapolis, who was then the Metropolitan of Central Africa, when the Congo-Brazzaville state was still under the jurisdiction of the Holy Metropolis of Central Africa.

The completion of the work, which began with the initiative of the clergy and blessings of His Eminence Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Brazzaville and Gabon, began on Monday, June 3, 2019 and lasted for three months and funds were donated by the Brotherhood of Orthodox Foreign Missions of Thessalonica and the costs of the building of the bell tower were covered by the Holy Metropolis of Canada. The Panhellenic Institute “Evangelistria” from Tinos and the Missionary Association of Thessalonica "Agios Kosmas Aitolos" also contributed to the design of the surrounding area, the office of the Parish Priest and the ablution blocks. The work was completed by the construction company ZEROCK S.A.R.L. owned by the pious Lebanese Orthodox Christian Mr. Rawad Habib, benefactor of the Holy Metropolis.

The gratitude and joy of the parishioners is indescribable, since they too will have their own Church. This joy will culminate on Sunday, September 29, 2019, the day on which the Holy Parish Church will be consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon with the patriarchal blessings of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II.

In Congo-Brazzaville, with struggle and pain, with prayer and patience, with toil and labor, Churches have been established to glorify the name of the Triune God and to convey to this beautiful people the message of the Resurrection. The Lord blessed seven Parish Communities with corresponding Churches, three of which were unfinished due to lack of resources during the tenure (February 2013) of the First Metropolitan of Brazzaville and Gabon, His Eminence Panteleimon. The faithful, who for the most part belong to the ancient Pygmy tribe, prayed in a rented house.

With the mercy of the Lord the Arch Shephard of the Church, in a period of six years (2013-2019), the Holy Church of St. John the Baptist in the city of Impfondo was erected and consecrated (February 5, 2017), while two more magnificent Churches were completed and consecrated, the Holy Church of St. Fotini- Pointe-Noire (May 6, 2018) and the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Demetrius- Pointe-Noire (February 17, 2019, inaugurated by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa). Also, the Holy Parish Church of the Resurrection of the Lord- Brazzaville was thoroughly renovated. Most of the existing Parish Churches of the Metropolis have now been completed.

The gratitude of the Christian people of the local Church and the concerned Metropolitan of Brazzaville and Gabon to all who contribute to the arduous and laborious missionary struggle for glorifying God, enlightening the indigenous brothers and sisters and making their lives easier, remains undiminished.

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