On Saturday, 24 May 2024, The baptisms of 227 catechumens took place at the Kintamali Missionary Centre, with the participation of Metropolitan Theophanis of Moldova, and the local Shepherd, Bishop Agathonikos of Arusha.
From early on in the morning, believers and catechumens from all the parishes of the Iringa district had filled the premises of the missionary center waiting for the baptisms to begin. Under the hot African sun, no one worried themselves about suffering in the heat, for the joy of the foretaste of Pentecost was pervasive. With a lot of patience, the little children together with their parents waited for their meeting with Christ!
It is very comforting that entire families embrace Orthodoxy and then bring their infants to be baptized, thus creating a strong tradition that with the Grace of God will be passed down from generation to generation and Orthodoxy will spread deep roots in the land of Tanzania.
After the end of the Sacrament of Baptism, a large festive reception took place, for more than 600 people, offering from all the anonymous donors of the Missionary Shelter “Saint Dionysios of Olympus”.
