Orthodox parishes emerge from chance encounters in Congo, Metropolitan Chariton says

His Eminence Metropolitan Chariton of Kananga, of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, recounted in a special edition of Trinitas TV how Orthodox communities emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo following unexpected encounters with local people.

The metropolitan explained that early Orthodox missionary work in certain regions of Congo faced numerous difficulties, from vast distances and barely accessible roads to the absence of churches and established Orthodox communities.

Metropolitan Chariton particularly recalled the period when he was sent to undertake missionary work in the city of Goma, where he knew nobody and had neither a church nor a place to live.

“I myself did not know how this work was going to begin,” Metropolitan Chariton admitted, emphasising that trust in God and obedience to the instructions he had received helped him overcome the uncertainty of those early days.

An unexpected encounter On his first day in Goma, two men came looking for him at the hotel where he was staying, after some people had noticed him at the airport wearing clerical clothing.

They had a calendar featuring images of Orthodox clergy and wanted to learn more about the…