On the occasion of the feast of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr, Saint of Alexandria, and his 66th birthday, the Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos, along with the Archpriests who accompany him on his tour and the holy clergy of the Diocese of Kisumu.
Present at the Divine Liturgy were the Deputy Governor of Kisumu, the Senator of Kisumu Province, Members of the Kenyan Parliament from the Province of Kisumu, the Chief of the local tribe, the Police Director and a crowd of people.
During the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch of Alexandria ordained Subdeacon Ioakeim as Deacon, an excellent graduate of the Riruta Patriarchal Seminary, and Fr. Nikodimos as Protopresbyter, who was also appointed Vicar General of the Province of Kisumu.
All the present political leaders addressed the Patriarch, thanking him for visiting them as well as for the great contribution of the Patriarchate to the local community. As a birthday gift they gave him a large area of state land to build Orthodox schools and a Hospital.
The Patriarch thanked the authorities for their presence and for their valuable gift, emphasizing, among other things, that the Patriarchate of Alexandria not only sympathizes with the trials of its flock but also contributes effectively to its relief and consolation. The Patriarch introduced to the authorities Bishop Markos telling them characteristically that “I love you so much that I sent to you a chosen child of mine, a native of the African land, who will represent me here so that the heart of the Church of Alexandria will be beating every day in the Province of Kisumu.”
After the Divine Liturgy, the faithful organized a festive event in honor of the Patriarch, dancing and singing, offering him traditional African gifts and finally surprising him with a very beautiful birthday cake, where everyone wished him “Happy Birthday”.
Finally, Bishop Markos offered a marble Lion as a gift, telling the Patriarch that “the lion is the symbol of St. Mark, the Founder of our Church, but you too, Your Eminence are strong and determined like the Lion of St. Mark and we always wish you to be like that so that we can draw strength from you”. Then sweets and soft drinks were offered to all present.