Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 17, 2018
Another mass Baptism was celebrated recently in the Metropolis of Katanga (Congo), in the city of Kolwezi, uniting 556 people to the Body of Christ in the Holy Orthodox Church, reports Romfea.
During a two-day official public holiday, all the catechumens of the city of Kolwezi, in the south of the country near the border of Zambia, and of the surrounding vicinities, along with His Eminence Metropolitan Meletios of Katanga and a number of clergy gathered at the Church of St. George, where the hierarch celebrated the rite of Baptism for all the catechumens who had confessed and received a blessing for holy Baptism.
Those who were already married also received blessings to have their weddings celebrated in the Church in their local parishes.
All the newly-baptized were given proper instruction for the commencing of their life in Christ and returned home.
A total of 556 catechumens were baptized during the two-day holiday, mainly in Kolwezi, but also in remote parishes.
The city of Kolwezi was also blessed by a visit of His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa in Africa, in February, when he visited the Church-run Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo to bless its newly-built wing.