ΜΗΝΥΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΣΕΒΑΣΜΙΩΤΑΤΟΥ ΓΕΝΝΑΔΙΟΥ

We are in the middle of the period before Pascha. In order to give us strength and courage, the Church puts forward the Precious Cross of the Lord for us to venerate and prepare ourselves for Pascha. So, next Sunday, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Precious Cross, 18th March, during the Divine Liturgy which will be conducted by His Eminence Gennadios, the ceremony of the Veneration will take place.

It is a well-known tradition in Orthodoxy that all the faithful bring flowers and sweet basil to church in order to decorate the Precious Cross and once they are blessed they will be given out again to the faithful so that they can take the blessing of the Lord to their homes and families. For this reason, we ask all who can to bring flowers and sweet basil early to church on Sunday, at around 09h30, to receive the rich blessings of Christ.Sunday 25th March is a great feast for our Church. It is the Feast of the Annunciation of the All Holy Virgin, and His Eminence will conduct a festive Divine Liturgy, during which he will ordain as a sub-deacon a young man from Greece, who holds a degree from a Higher Ecclesiastical Academy and a Byzantine Music Academy.

He will serve the Holy Diocese of Botswana.During recent days His Eminence was received by the Ambassadors of France and Germany. A meeting also between His Eminence and the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mrs C. Tshenolo Modise was particularly significant. In forthcoming days His Eminence will also visit the Embassies of Great Britain, the European Union, Cuba and Russia and a meeting between His Eminence and His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Botswana is also awaited with great interest. Furthermore, His Eminence had a working lunch with His Eminence the Right Reverend Valentine Seane, the Catholic Bishop of Botswana, as well as with His Grace the Right Reverend Trevor Mwamba the Anglican Bishop of Botswana.

Within the next two days His Eminence will be participating in the deliberations of an International Conference on Educational issues at the University of Botswana, which is being organized by the Embassy of France. We hope and pray to be able to announce soon the gratifying news of the purchase of a plot (we are in the final stages of consultations), so that we can invite you very soon to the ceremony of the blessing of the foundations of the building of our Church.

Finally, in our next Press Release we will let you know details of the programme of services for Great and Holy Week and Pascha. We would like to let you all know the new contact details for the Holy Diocese (Secretariat – Registry Office – Committees et al) are as follows:
Address: Plot 18694 Masokwe Street, Gaborone West, Botswana
Tel: +267 3938106
Fax: +267 3938107
Cell: +267 76106066
Secretariat: +267 74707045 (Dr Denise Fotiadis)
Email: secretary@orthodoxbotswana.org

From the Secretariat of the Holy Diocese