Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos
Encyclopedia
Rev. Archimandrite
Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos (Greek: Χρυσόστομος Παπασαραντόπουλος , 1903–1972) was a pioneering missionary of the Orthodox faith in Uganda
, Kenya, Tanzania, and Congo.
, Greece to Theodoros Papasarantopoulos and Stavroula Trigourea (afterwards Nun
Sebastiani), the seventh child of the family. He was born into a devout Christian home, and from childhood he devoted his life to Christ
. At the age of 10 he lost his father, and was forced to leave school in order to work. At 15 years of age he left his family home in secret and went to settle at the Koroni
monastery in order to pursue his longing for the spiritual life; however he soon left this monastery since his relatives would visit him and beg him to return to the family. Afterwards, he went to Kalamata
, to the then well-known Hermitage of Panagoulakis (Holy Monastery of the Annunciation
of the Virgin Mary), known for its strict asceticism
; here he became a monk
. The excesses of the Igumen
there and the very strict lifestyle of that Hermitage overcame him and left him with a permanent health problem.
into the priesthood
, and was appointed as the Igumen of that monastery.
At some point he tonsure
d his mother as a Nun
. For several years he served the surrounding villages as the officiating priest. During this period Fr. Chrysostomos found time to complete his school studies (via Homeschooling
), and undertook to learn the French language. After the disestablishment of the Monastery of Gardikiou (due to lack of personnel), Fr. Chrysostomos transferred to the Metochion
of the Holy Monastery of Voulkano, Chrysokellaria, near Koroni
.
He then came to Athens and joined the Holy Monastery of the Bodiless Powers (Petraki), where his main duty was that of father confessor
for people of all ages and walks of life, becoming well respected and loved. In the years of occupation Fr. Chrysostomos went to Edessa
where he served as the General Hierarchical Vicar
and Protosyngellos
. Subsequently he was transferred to Kozani
, Thessaloniki, and Athens, where he received his Secondary School Diploma. Eventually he returned again to the Monastery of the Bodiless Powers (Petraki) in Athens, from where he determined to enroll in the University of Athens
Theological School. At the age of 55, in 1958, he finally received his theological degree.
During the course of his studies in Athens he came into contact with certain colleagues of African descent, who may have inspired him towards his forthcoming mission. The African students at the University were from Uganda, and represented the first native Orthodox Christians from Uganda to be formally educated in the Orthodox faith. One of these fellow students, Theodore Nankyamas, would later play a prominent role and become one of the first Orthodox bishops in East Africa. Another, Demetrios Mumbale, would become the first Orthodox physician and founder of an Orthodox medical clinic in Uganda. In the event, after many years of faithful service in his native country, he experienced a strong leading, a true "Macedonian Call," to go as a missionary
to Africa.
, he met the Patriarch of Alexandria Christophoros II
from whom he obtained the blessing,Formal ecclesiastical permission to undertake an action is referred to as a "blessing". The blessing may be bestowed by a bishop or priest, or by one's own spiritual father. thus resolving to continue the mission.
In 1960 Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos went to Kampala
, Uganda, where he worked for ten years before moving to Zaire
to begin a new mission there. Through correspondence he also encouraged others to become involved in mission, among them the present Bishop Makarios of Riruta, Kenya. After years of repression by the British colonial regime and the disingenuous propaganda of the Roman Catholic
and Protestant missionaries who supported it, the Orthodox Church was in a perilous state.
Father Chrysostomos wrote about the first difficulties he encountered:
He began an extensive correspondence program, writing to friends, relatives and acquaintances who might be able to help in any way. Thus he slowly started to receive aid from Greece, Europe and America in the form of packages of clothing, cheques, utensils and other items. In another letter he wrote:
Learning a new language at that age was not easy, but within a year of arriving in Africa, Father Chrysostomos could preach in Swahili
. He provided catechesis
, he taught, and performed the Divine Liturgy
, and baptized
numerous of the Indigenous peoples
. In addition, he prepared others for the mission, guiding them towards the priesthood.
In 1963 Father Chrysostomos became the spiritual founder of the missionary society "The Friends of Uganda." This Society continues its mission today based in the city of Thessaloniki.
and Tanzania
(Tanganyika
). In Nairobi
he created another missionary station, stating "the work (of mission) is progressing, Orthodoxy is expanding." He also completed a translation of the Divine Liturgy
and various Prayer
s into Swahili.
Although he made constant appeals for assistance in his correspondence to Greece, inviting others to join the mission, he received no response. At an advanced age, he preached often.
For 10 years, Father Chrysostomos laboured in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, but also desired to preach in the country which is today called the Democratic Republic of Congo
.
In 1970 Father Chrysostomos went to live in Congo to begin a new mission there, staying there for two years, that is, for the remainder of his life. Here he met with an even greater response from the Indigenous population, however he was beset by an enormous lack of material assistance and helpers to assist him. One month before his death, he wrote a letter saying:
to Lubumbashi
he was overcome by profuse nose-bleeding. He returned to Kananga, celebrated the Divine Liturgy
on Christmas Day
, and died on December 29, 1972.
. Numerous obstacles confronted him: racism, language barriers, primitive living conditions, lack of funds, limitations imposed upon him by superiors, ill health, poor diet, etc. Not one to despair easily, Fr. Chrysostomos would say that he managed "with God's help".
After labouring for twelve years across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Congo, and having learned the Swahili and French languages at a relatively old age, he died in Africa having started a huge task, which was continued with great success.
Today there is a Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in Kinshasa. Father Chrysostomos was the pioneer, who laid the foundations, on which the superstructure of Orthodoxy in Congo was raised up. Kenya is not a small country, but Congo is more than four times the size of Kenya. Father Chrysostomos was always on the move, traveling widely. His life was a continuous round of traveling, preaching
, baptizing
, planting churches
and celebrating the Divine Liturgy
.
Greek sources
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos (Greek: Χρυσόστομος Παπασαραντόπουλος , 1903–1972) was a pioneering missionary of the Orthodox faith in Uganda
Orthodox Christianity in Uganda
Uganda is the first country to the south of the Sahara where an Orthodox Christian community began to form.-Present day:Currently there are four Eparchies which are united into a Metropolia headed by Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga. The Metropolia is in Namungona, a suburb of the capital Kampala. The...
, Kenya, Tanzania, and Congo.
Childhood Years
Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos was born Christos Papasarantopoulos in 1903 in Vasilitsi, MesseniaMessenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
, Greece to Theodoros Papasarantopoulos and Stavroula Trigourea (afterwards Nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
Sebastiani), the seventh child of the family. He was born into a devout Christian home, and from childhood he devoted his life to Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. At the age of 10 he lost his father, and was forced to leave school in order to work. At 15 years of age he left his family home in secret and went to settle at the Koroni
Koroni
Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...
monastery in order to pursue his longing for the spiritual life; however he soon left this monastery since his relatives would visit him and beg him to return to the family. Afterwards, he went to Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, to the then well-known Hermitage of Panagoulakis (Holy Monastery of the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
of the Virgin Mary), known for its strict asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
; here he became a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. The excesses of the Igumen
Hegumen
Hegumen, hegumenos, igumen, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called hegumenia or ihumenia . The term means "the one who is in charge", "the leader" in...
there and the very strict lifestyle of that Hermitage overcame him and left him with a permanent health problem.
Later Years
During the years 1920-1929 Archimandrite Chrysostomos stayed at the Holy Monastery of Gardikiou (Moni Gardikiou), in Messenia. On May 4th 1926 he was ordainedOrdination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
into the priesthood
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
, and was appointed as the Igumen of that monastery.
At some point he tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d his mother as a Nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. For several years he served the surrounding villages as the officiating priest. During this period Fr. Chrysostomos found time to complete his school studies (via Homeschooling
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
), and undertook to learn the French language. After the disestablishment of the Monastery of Gardikiou (due to lack of personnel), Fr. Chrysostomos transferred to the Metochion
Metochion
In Eastern Orthodoxy, a metochion is an ecclesiastical embassy church, usually from one autocephalous or autonomous church to another. The term is also used to refer to a parish representation of a monastery or a patriarch....
of the Holy Monastery of Voulkano, Chrysokellaria, near Koroni
Koroni
Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...
.
He then came to Athens and joined the Holy Monastery of the Bodiless Powers (Petraki), where his main duty was that of father confessor
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
for people of all ages and walks of life, becoming well respected and loved. In the years of occupation Fr. Chrysostomos went to Edessa
Edessa, Greece
Edessa , is a city in northern Greece and the capital of the Pella regional unit, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It was also the capital of the defunct province of the same name.-Name:...
where he served as the General Hierarchical Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
and Protosyngellos
Protosyncellus
A protosyncellus or protosynkellos is the principal deputy of the bishop of an eparchy for the exercise of administrative authority in an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic church...
. Subsequently he was transferred to Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
, Thessaloniki, and Athens, where he received his Secondary School Diploma. Eventually he returned again to the Monastery of the Bodiless Powers (Petraki) in Athens, from where he determined to enroll in the University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
Theological School. At the age of 55, in 1958, he finally received his theological degree.
During the course of his studies in Athens he came into contact with certain colleagues of African descent, who may have inspired him towards his forthcoming mission. The African students at the University were from Uganda, and represented the first native Orthodox Christians from Uganda to be formally educated in the Orthodox faith. One of these fellow students, Theodore Nankyamas, would later play a prominent role and become one of the first Orthodox bishops in East Africa. Another, Demetrios Mumbale, would become the first Orthodox physician and founder of an Orthodox medical clinic in Uganda. In the event, after many years of faithful service in his native country, he experienced a strong leading, a true "Macedonian Call," to go as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to Africa.
Uganda
At the age of 57 Fr. Chrysostomos decided to go on his mission to Africa. The Archbishop at that time, as well as his acquaintances, tried to discourage him on the pretext of his advanced age and state of health. However during a trip to the Holy LandHoly Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, he met the Patriarch of Alexandria Christophoros II
Patriarch Christopher II of Alexandria
Christopher II served as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria between 1939 and 1966.-References:...
from whom he obtained the blessing,Formal ecclesiastical permission to undertake an action is referred to as a "blessing". The blessing may be bestowed by a bishop or priest, or by one's own spiritual father. thus resolving to continue the mission.
In 1960 Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos went to Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda, where he worked for ten years before moving to Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
to begin a new mission there. Through correspondence he also encouraged others to become involved in mission, among them the present Bishop Makarios of Riruta, Kenya. After years of repression by the British colonial regime and the disingenuous propaganda of the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Protestant missionaries who supported it, the Orthodox Church was in a perilous state.
Father Chrysostomos wrote about the first difficulties he encountered:
"...(there are) neither homes, nor churches, nor clergy.[...] the few Greek families here live miles away from each other. Likewise the Black Orthodox are also scattered in tens and hundreds of miles in the four cardinal directionCardinal directionThe four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
s..."
He began an extensive correspondence program, writing to friends, relatives and acquaintances who might be able to help in any way. Thus he slowly started to receive aid from Greece, Europe and America in the form of packages of clothing, cheques, utensils and other items. In another letter he wrote:
"...by the end of March 1961 the inauguration and opening of the small church of our mission was completed...I have not yet learned the (Bantu) language of Luganda, however I have learned SwahiliSwahili languageSwahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
to a considerable extent. I speak it together mixed with English, and I am understood fairly well."
Learning a new language at that age was not easy, but within a year of arriving in Africa, Father Chrysostomos could preach in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
. He provided catechesis
Catechumen
In ecclesiology, a catechumen , “‘down’” + ἠχή , “‘sound’”) is one receiving instruction from a catechist in the principles of the Christian religion with a view to baptism...
, he taught, and performed the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
, and baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
numerous of the Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
. In addition, he prepared others for the mission, guiding them towards the priesthood.
In 1963 Father Chrysostomos became the spiritual founder of the missionary society "The Friends of Uganda." This Society continues its mission today based in the city of Thessaloniki.
Kenya, Tanzania, Congo
He then expanded the mission to neighbouring KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
(Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
). In Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
he created another missionary station, stating "the work (of mission) is progressing, Orthodoxy is expanding." He also completed a translation of the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
and various Prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s into Swahili.
Although he made constant appeals for assistance in his correspondence to Greece, inviting others to join the mission, he received no response. At an advanced age, he preached often.
For 10 years, Father Chrysostomos laboured in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, but also desired to preach in the country which is today called the Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
In 1970 Father Chrysostomos went to live in Congo to begin a new mission there, staying there for two years, that is, for the remainder of his life. Here he met with an even greater response from the Indigenous population, however he was beset by an enormous lack of material assistance and helpers to assist him. One month before his death, he wrote a letter saying:
"I love the Africans and am fully convinced that the LordLordLord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
has brought me here. I hope to use the few remaining days of my old age preaching and teaching here. The place I am now located in is a large city (KanangaKanangaKananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....
) of 50,000 people near the central part of the Congo. The people are eager to learn about Orthodox Christianity. But I am old and alone and my capacities are now limited. I don't know how I'll manage, but the Lord JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
will show me, as He always has in the past. Remember me in your prayerPrayerPrayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s."
Death
On December 13, 1972 while travelling from KanangaKananga
Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....
to Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
he was overcome by profuse nose-bleeding. He returned to Kananga, celebrated the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
on Christmas Day
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, and died on December 29, 1972.
Legacy
Father Chrysostomos opened the road for modern Orthodox missionary activity in Africa. He started out at 57 years of age all by himself without any aid, and found himself in Africa preaching the GospelGospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
. Numerous obstacles confronted him: racism, language barriers, primitive living conditions, lack of funds, limitations imposed upon him by superiors, ill health, poor diet, etc. Not one to despair easily, Fr. Chrysostomos would say that he managed "with God's help".
After labouring for twelve years across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Congo, and having learned the Swahili and French languages at a relatively old age, he died in Africa having started a huge task, which was continued with great success.
Today there is a Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in Kinshasa. Father Chrysostomos was the pioneer, who laid the foundations, on which the superstructure of Orthodoxy in Congo was raised up. Kenya is not a small country, but Congo is more than four times the size of Kenya. Father Chrysostomos was always on the move, traveling widely. His life was a continuous round of traveling, preaching
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
, baptizing
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, planting churches
Church planting
Church planting is a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship centre or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation...
and celebrating the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
.
As with all preachers of the GospelGospelA gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, the full results of Fr. Papasarantopoulos' missionary efforts in Africa will be known only to the LordLordLord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of the Church. Orthodox history teaches that like prayer, the life of "a righteous man has great power in its effect" (James 5:16). However the seemingly humble ministry of this one missionary, advanced in age before he began, has had a direct effect on the Orthodox Church in both Greece and the United States. Shortly after his departure for Africa from Athens, a new missionary movement began in Greece in 1961 called "The Inter-Orthodox Missionary Center" under the aegis of the Pan-Orthodox Youth movement Syndesmos. ...A new journal entitled Porefthentes (Go Ye), edited by Anastasios G. YannoulatosArchbishop Anastasios of AlbaniaArchbishop Dr Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania is the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania and as such the primate and Head of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. He was elected on June 1992...
accompanied this movement. Through the writings and influence of Yannoulatos, now a bishop and professor at the University of Athens, and this new movement, interest in missions has greatly expanded in Greece over the past twenty years. Today there are at least three missionary societies in that country operating out of AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, ThessalonikeThessalonikiThessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, and PatrasPatrasPatras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, all of which publish journals on missions. There were no such official organizations existing in modern Greece prior to Fr. Papasarantopoulos' venture of faith in Africa. It is noteworthy that all developed almost immediately after Fr. Papasarantopoulos' correspondence from the mission field began to ignite the faith of his friends and supporters in Greece. A similar phenomenon occurred in the United States.
See also
- Patriarchate of AlexandriaChurch of AlexandriaThe Church of Alexandria in Egypt is the particular church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria. It is one of the original four Apostolic Sees of Christianity, with Rome, Antioch and Jerusalem ....
- Orthodox Christianity in UgandaOrthodox Christianity in UgandaUganda is the first country to the south of the Sahara where an Orthodox Christian community began to form.-Present day:Currently there are four Eparchies which are united into a Metropolia headed by Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga. The Metropolia is in Namungona, a suburb of the capital Kampala. The...
- Christianity in AfricaChristianity in AfricaChristianity is now one of the two most widely practised religions in Africa and is the largest religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most adherents outside Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea are Roman Catholic or Protestant. The presence of Christianity in Africa began in the middle of the 1st century in...
- Orthodox Christian Mission CenterOrthodox Christian Mission CenterThe Orthodox Christian Mission Center is an Orthodox Christian missions organization based in the United States and supported by all the jurisdictions of the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America .- Current missionaries :...
- List of Eastern Orthodox missionaries
- African Orthodox ChurchAfrican Orthodox ChurchThe African Orthodox Church is a primarily African-American denomination founded in the United States in 1921. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members, down significantly from the time of its greatest strength....
(non-canonical)
Sources and Further Reading
- Fr. Alexander Veronis (OCMCOrthodox Christian Mission CenterThe Orthodox Christian Mission Center is an Orthodox Christian missions organization based in the United States and supported by all the jurisdictions of the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America .- Current missionaries :...
). Orthodox Concepts of Evangelism and Mission. In: Paul Wesley Chilcote, & Laceye C. Warner (Eds.). The Study of Evangelism: Exploring a Missional Practice of the Church. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008. pp. 279–294. ISBN 978-0-8028-0391-7 - George P. Liacopulos. Church and Society: Orthodox Christian Perspectives, Past Experiences, and Modern Challenges. Somerset Hall Press, 2007. ISBN 9780977461059
- Gerald H. Anderson. Papasarantopoulos, Chrysostom (1903-1972). In: Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. p. 514. ISBN 978-0-8028-4680-8
- Makarios (Tillyrides) of Kenya. Sermon at a Memorial Service for the Pioneer Missionary Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, at the Church of St. Paul, Kagira, 29 December 1993. Adventures in the Unseen, Volume 1. Orthodox Research Institute, 2004. pp. 115–119. ISBN 978-0-9745618-5-1
- Holy Metropolis of Messenia. Holy Monastery of Gardikiou.
- Stephen Hayes. Orthodox Mission in Tropical Africa. Missionalia (Journal of the Southern African Missiological Society).
Greek sources
- Χρυσόστομος Παπασαραντόπουλος at the Greek Wikipedia.
- Aναμνηστικός τόμος Ελληνικής Εταιρείας Ορθοδόξου Εξωτερικής Ιεραποστολής. Αρχιμανδρίτης Χρυσόστομος Παπασαραντόπουλος. Θεσσαλονίκη 1974. Επιμέλεια: Π.Δ.Παπαδημητρακόπουλου.
- Περιοδικό "Φως Εθνών". Ορθοδόξου Ιεραποστολής "Ο Πρωτόκλητος", τεύχος 114.
- Aρχιμ. Χαρίτων Πνευματικάκις. Στην Αφρική για το Χριστό ο Αρχιμανδρίτης Χρυσόστομος Παπασαρντόπουλος.
- Papasarantopoulos, Chrysostom. A report on the missionary work carried out in the Metropolis of Eirinoupolis (East Africa). Porefthendes. Athens, 5, 1963, 2-3.
External links
- Πανελλήνιος Χριστιανικός Όμιλος Ορθοδόξου Ιεραποστολής (Orthodox Missionary Website - in Greek)