{"id":271384,"date":"2020-02-14T11:04:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T09:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=271384"},"modified":"2020-02-14T11:04:18","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T09:04:18","slug":"first-orthodox-monastery-in-tanzania-celebrates-its-first-divine-liturgy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/first-orthodox-monastery-in-tanzania-celebrates-its-first-divine-liturgy\/","title":{"rendered":"First Orthodox monastery in Tanzania celebrates its first Divine Liturgy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Orthodox faithful of Tanzania celebrated a day of firsts earlier this week.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Monday, February 10, the first Orthodox monastery in the nation celebrated its first Divine Liturgy. The service was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Agathonikos of Arusha and Central Tanzania at the holy habitation in Kidamali together with a number of Greek hieromonks and Tanzanian priests, reports Doxologia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The monastery\u2019s church is dedicated to the holy Archangel Michael and St. Paisius (Velichkovsky) of Neam\u021b Monastery in Romania, as several monasteries and parishes from the Archdiocese of Ia\u0219i contributed to the erection of the church.<\/p>\n

After the service, the foundation stone was laid for the erection of a number of cells and annexes necessary for the proper functioning of the monastery, with its small community of nuns: Mother Irina and Riassaphore Nun Sofronia from Romania and two Tanzanian novices\u2014Sisters Tekla and Maria.<\/p>\n

The day ended with an agape meal of rice, beans, and goat meat for all present.<\/p>\n

230 Africans, including many former Muslims, were baptized in Tanzania\u00a0late last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n