A big group baptism in South Africa

A significant historic event has happened for the Orthodoxy in Africa. The biggest mass baptism ever has occurred in Johannesburg, South Africa. 42 newly baptized members of the local African population.

Day after the celebration of St. Nicholas of Myra, The Wonder-worker, the biggest mass baptism ever has been performed of the members of a local population in South Africa. It was presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Johannesburg and Pretoria with the concelebration of dozen priests and deacons of the Metropolitanate of Johannesburg.

The baptism was performed in the school of Saint Atanasije, which is located in Tembisa, in which Serbian monks, who serve in Johannesburg, has been teaching a religious education for a last couple of years. On the day of St. Amvrosija of Milano, 42 souls from tribes of Zulu, Tswane and Sotho are baptized.

The effort of the orthodox priests with the blessing of the Metropolitan enabled this biggest group baptism that has ever happened in South Africa. It is very important to stress that also the director of the school of St. Atanasije Ms Berta Mocwane was baptized and that brings a lot of hope that the Orthodoxy will spread more in this school and will be embraced by others that are still not baptized, and among those who live in outskirts of Johannesburg.

Achrimandrite Pantelejmon,

the head of the church of the St. Thomas The Apostle in Johannesburg