BLESSING OF THE NEW BELLS AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOLY CHURCH OF ST FOTINI
On 10th December 2017, His Eminence Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon, served the Divine Liturgy and preached the homily at the Holy Church of St Fotini which is under construction in the Mpaka suburb of Pointe-Noire.
He also blessed the two bells which the Church will have for the first time,, of which the larger one is a donation from the Brotherhood of External Orthodox Missions in Thessalonica and the smaller one from the prestigious Monastery of Simonos Petra on Mount Athos.
Following the end of the Eucharistic Gathering, the great Benefactor of the Church and active Chairman of the Parish Council Mr. Michel Armand Massa, Member of the Metropolitan Council, gave His Eminence an engraving of Congo-Brazzaville on behalf of the faithful on the occasion of his fifth anniversary since his ordination as Bishop (2nd December 2012) thanking him for his labours, his love, his patience and his contribution to the Orthodox Community and the country, as well as for the elevation of the local Church to a Holy Metropolis.
In conclusion the Metropolitan donated a set of vestments to the Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Silouan Nounkou as well as an amount of clothing and toys to the congregation for the upcoming feast of the Nativity, who all attended the Divine Liturgy despite the ceaseless tropical storm.
Note that the flooring in the Church has been completed both inside and out, with granite tiles. All that remains is the completion of the sculpting of the wooden Iconostasis by an indigenous master craftsman, the fitting of the lighting fixtures and the fixing of the icons on the walls.