With their traditional dress, which is a part of
their daily lives, and with dances and singing -
even inside the church - the
Maasai natives of
Kenya welcomed the Patriarch of Alexandria
Theodore II yesterday, in the region of Ewaso,
some 30 kilometers away from Nairobi.
This was the first visit by an Alexandrian
Primate to the Maasai in Kenya - in this land
where there are five Orthodox parishes - four of
which are situated at the foothills of Mount
Kilimanjaro.
It is a fact
that the Orthodox Maasai preserve their customs
and traditions. This was encouraged by the
Alexandrian Primate, Patriarch Theodore also,
when he met them at their village:
"You must
remember that you should hold onto your
traditions, your morals and your customs."
Then, on
addressing the younger generation, he did not
omit to stress that "these youngsters are the
future of their homeland, and Orthodoxy is also
expecting just as much from them."
It is worth
mentioning that the Orthodox Church in that
region is at the side of the Maasai who have
embraced Christianity over the past 30 years at
least, and this, thanks to the efforts of the
local Metropolitan, fr. Makarios, whom the
Patriarch of Alexandria Theodore yesterday
thanked publicly for his opus.
Among the
initiatives of the Hierarch was the translation
of the Divine Liturgy -but also all the other
services- into the Maasai language so that they
will be able to practice their faith in their
own tongue; also the supply of scholarships, and
the creation of a school and a medical centre.
There are even
several young Maasai who attend lessons at the
Patriarchal Ecclesiastic School "Archbishop of
Cyprus Makarios III" in Nairobi, who will
eventually become liturgical staff of the
Church.
As a minimal
gesture of solidarity towards their families,
the Patriarch of Alexandria offered items of
food, clothing and also toys for the children.
The overall reception was
completed with traditional dances and songs of
the Maasai tribe, who offered the Primate the
sceptre of their tribe as their show of thanks
for his visit.
Immediately
after, the Patriarch of Alexandria returned to
Nairobi, to continue with his current pastoral
itinerary through Kenya, which will culminate on
Sunday with the official celebrations for the
50th anniversary of the Metropolis of Kenya.
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