On Saturday 16th December 2017, His Eminence Panteleimon Metropolitan of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon baptized thirty-two catechumens of all ages, from the Parish Community of St Irene in the city of Dolisie.
Prior to the start of the Service of Catechism, His Eminence described and explained the stages of the Holy Sacrament service and addressed paternal advice to the now newly-enlightened members of the Church.
On the evening of the same day, following the Service of Vespers, he had a lengthy meeting with the faithful and the newly-enlightened Christians, to whom he spoke of the stage of the spiritual preparation for the celebration of the Great Feast of the Nativity, particularly analyzing the content and the importance of fasting and confession. He then gave a new set of vestments to the tireless worker of the above named Parish, Rev. Fr. Pavlos Diafouka, Director of the adjacent Orthodox Orphanage, “St Efstathios”.