Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 28, 2021
St. Paisios of Mt. Athos, “the saint of love, sacrifice and spiritual instruction, as the whole Orthodox world now knows him, is a spiritual beacon and guide for the faithful throughout the universe.”
Love and veneration of the great saint extends far beyond his Greek homeland, including to the Congo, where the Orthodox faithful of the war-torn Gazi area are greatly comforted by the presence of the saint in two churches built in his honor in the city of Kananga, reports Romfea.
“During the civil war, the area of Gazi was an area watered with the blood of thousands of its executed inhabitants and so now the presence of St. Paisios comes to comfort the aching souls of the Congolese brothers, to enlighten them and lead them to the truth of our holy Orthodox Church,” reads the report.
The first chapel of the Monastery of the Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple, currently under construction, is dedicated to the great 20th-century Athonite saint. His presence is clearly felt in the monastery, and his life serves as an example for the youth of the Metropolis of Kananga who feel a call to the monastic life.
In addition to the monastery chapel, a new parish Church of St. Paisios was also recently consecrated and opened in Kananga, the capital of the Kasai-Central Province.
The construction of the church building has been completed. The painting of the church will soon begin, and the community expects to soon receive icons for the walls and iconostasis.
Earlier this month, a Church of St. Paisios was consecrated on the Greek island of Santorini.
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