On 4th April 2018, His Eminence Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon, together with the Hierachal Vicar General the Reverend Maximos Oumba, Parish Priest of the Holy Cathedral of St Dimitrois in Pointe Noire, the Reverend Fr. Laurence Mpinga Parish Priest of the Holy Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Pointe-Noire, the Reverend Fr. Silouan Nkounou, Parish Priest of the Holy Church of St Fotini Pointe-Noire and colleagues from the philanthropic group, visited the prisons of the city to offer a large amount of personal hygiene items and foodstuff to the 347 brother inmates. This donation was a gift of love from the Orthodox faithful of the three Parish Communities of Pointe-Noire, as well as from the Holy Metropolis, for the purchase of the above-named items.
At first, the Metropolitan was welcomed by the police administrator Mr. Florent Octave Marius Obonga, Director of Prisons, who expressed grateful thanks to the local Orthodox Church for their practical support of the inmates.
His Eminence then had the blessing of meeting at length with all the imprisoned men and women, to speak to them about the Lord’s Resurrection, about the personal Resurrection of each person, to address them in words of support, love and respect and to convey to them the paternal prayers and blessing of His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria.
In conclusion he officially announced the appointment of Deacon Stephan Anzembe as the person responsible for the beginning of systematic pastoral work of the Holy Metropolis at the prisons in Pointe-Noire, as the relative procedures have been completed and the necessary written permission was given by the prison authorities for this.