With special joy we inform you of the start of construction of the new toilet facilities at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Majunga.
This is a much-needed project, judged essential for better serving the faithful and for ensuring the orderly and hygienic operation of our church, in line with modern standards.
With special joy and emotion we saw the water rising again to the surface of the well, after its redevelopment and the installation of the appropriate equipment. This work was carried out out of love and care for our children, so that the children of our Diocese’s Primary School in Ambovondramanesy have clean drinking water to drink.
Today, Thomas Sunday, when we celebrate the Renewal of Christ’s Resurrection and the saving confession of the Apostle Thomas, we celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas in Majunga, Madagascar. Glory to God, the renovation has been completed, bringing out the splendour of this historic church, which was built in 1929 by Nikolaos the Cretan and renovated in 1953. The recent renovation of 2026 has restored it to the form and dignity befitting it.
The grandeur of the church bears witness to the deep faith of the Greeks in Orthodoxy and in Christ, and is at the same time a living transmission of the Greek spirit and culture to this faraway island.
With special joy and a sense of responsibility, a visit was made today to the school of our Holy Diocese. The purpose of the visit was to inspect the ongoing works and to record in detail the current needs.
The first concern was the progress of the reconstruction of the well, a vitally important project that will ensure the pupils’ unhindered access to clean drinking water.
On our arrival at the school, we received a warm and moving welcome from the pupils. The children enthusiastically sang the Resurrection hymn “Christ is Risen” in Greek and greeted us with “Kalimera Ellada” (Good morning, Greece), which shows that our systematic effort and practical love have already begun to bear fruit.
We express our deepest gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Most Holy Theotokos for their rich blessings. At the same time, we offer our heartfelt thanks to His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa. Under his unsleeping care and fatherly blessing, this work is becoming reality, making our humble ministry in the region possible. With his precious prayers, we continue our mission with undiminished zeal.
With great joy we announce that, for the first time, clean water has gushed from the well of our Diocese’s Primary School.
A precious gift of life for the children, bringing health, joy and hope. In a few days the project will be fully completed.
We glorify God and thank everyone who contributed to this blessing.
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With special emotion and deep joy we saw and heard “Christ is Risen” from the lips of the pupils of Ambovondramanesy, where our Diocese’s school operates. A simple phrase, and yet so full of light, faith and hope, which resounded like a blessing in the hearts of us all.
The upgrading works have already begun there, the first and most essential step being the reconstruction of the well, so that it is accessible and safe for the pupils, offering them clean drinking water — a precious gift of life, dignity and care.
With special emotion we saw the eager response of the children to the efforts to learn the Greek language. We heard them pronounce Greek words and take part with joy, thanks also to the valuable contribution of Thekla, the presbytera of Father Theofanis, who with love, patience and devotion cultivates in their souls the seed of the language and of the faith.
Thus the work being done is not limited to the external upgrading of the facilities and to meeting basic needs, but touches more deeply the soul and the education of the children. They are learning the Greek language, being introduced to our church tradition, beginning to chant and to taste the spiritual wealth of Orthodoxy as it is expressed through the Greek language.
At the same time, we have the great joy and satisfaction of announcing that the children’s request for a Secondary School, in addition to the Primary, will be fulfilled as part of the redevelopment of the school. Specifically, a new wing will be created to operate as a Secondary School, so that the children will be able to continue their education and not be limited to basic primary schooling, with all that this means for their future.
In addition, we are including the teaching of the Greek language in the programme. For this reason we make an open invitation to anyone who wishes to contribute to this effort by teaching the children Greek. Those willing to offer are kindly asked to contact us, so as to contribute substantially to this blessed work. E-mail: bishopnephon@gmail.com
We are now certain that this school will become a living hearth of light — a small but real embassy of Greece, of the Greek language and of our culture in this faraway land. A place where hope is born, faith grows strong and the children’s future is lit up with prospects and dignity.
C H R I S T I S R I S E N.
Christ is Risen. Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection
With special joy and emotion, on the morning of the Resurrection we celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the fully renovated church of Saint Nicholas, in the see of our diocese.
A multitude of faithful filled the holy church, taking part with faith and compunction in the joyful message of the Resurrection. “Christ is Risen” rang out loudly, filling everyone’s hearts with hope, light and strength for the rest of life.
After the Divine Liturgy, a shared meal followed in the church courtyard for all present, offered by the Bishop, in an atmosphere of love, unity and brotherhood.
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Today reminds us of the great duty and the sacred calling of mission. It is a day dedicated to love that becomes action, to faith that travels, and to the light of Christ that knows no borders.
Mission is not only words; it is a heart that opens, hands that embrace, a presence that comforts. It is the Lord’s “Go ye”, which becomes a daily struggle and sacrifice for our brother or sister, wherever on earth.
Let us too become small missionaries of love today. With a kind word, with a prayer, with an act of giving. For every heart warmed by the love of God becomes a beacon of hope for the world.
I pray that the grace of God may fill all our hearts, strengthen missionaries in every corner of the earth and make us worthy to live the Gospel in truth and light.
A good and blessed day!
Holy Tuesday, Service of Vespers, Saint Nicholas, Majunga
Holy Thursday: Service of the Holy Passion.
May He who endured spitting, scourging, buffeting, the cross and death for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and blameless holy Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, through the protection of the honourable bodiless powers of heaven, at the supplication of the honourable, glorious prophet, forerunner and baptist John, of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles, of the holy, glorious and triumphant martyrs, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers, of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind and is merciful.
Preparations for the Epitaphios before the Taking Down from the Cross. We went to the market and bought the flowers, and here the young women of our Diocese decorate it with love and care. We watch with compunction, praying together with the priests and the devout people who have come.
From the moment I arrived, I felt a great and special emotion when I saw on the iconostasis the icon of our Christ, painted by the Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi in Chania; it was as if Christ Himself was waiting for me.
My dear brothers and sisters,
Today we stand silent and shaken before the Epitaphios.
Christ lies dead.
The Lord of life, the Creator of the world, the Fashioner of man, is delivered up to death.
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes…”
and yet today the Bridegroom lies in the tomb.
Good Friday is the day of the absolute mystery.
The day on which love reaches its utmost point. God is not content to teach, not content to work miracles, but offers Himself as a sacrifice for the world.
On the Cross, Christ is not crucified merely by men; He is crucified by our sin, by our ingratitude, by the hardness of our hearts.
And yet, instead of condemnation, He offers forgiveness.
Instead of wrath, He offers love.
Instead of revenge, He offers salvation.
“Father, forgive them…”
My brothers and sisters,
The Epitaphios is not only a place of lament; it is also a place of hope. For the death of Christ is not the end; it is the beginning of victory. It is the passage to the Resurrection.
And this truth becomes alive today here, in the
Missionary Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar.
Today the sacred services of Good Friday were celebrated in this place of mission,
and our hearts are filled with emotion, because
the hymn of the Epitaphios resounded in our holy church.
In a church now renovated, made beautiful, transformed. A church that in no way resembles the one we saw when we first came here, a month and a half ago.
Where there was decay, now there is good order.
Where there was silence, now prayer is heard.
Where there was plainness, now the grace of God shines.
And within this renovated holy place,
the immaculate Passion of the Lord was lived again today.
The voice of the Church rang out in the heart of Madagascar.
The lament of Good Friday became the prayer of a people that thirsts for Christ.
Today nature is silent. Today the earth trembles.
Today man is called to be contrite, to repent, to love. Let us draw near with humility. Let us venerate with tears. Let us open our hearts, so that the dead Christ may transform them into a place of life. For from the Tomb Life dawns. From the Cross the Resurrection is born.
And then the joyful message will be heard: Death has been trampled down. Life has been given. Hope has dawned.
Amen.
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With special compunction, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated today, Holy Thursday, at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, in the Holy Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar.
The service was presided over by our Shepherd, His Grace Bishop Nephon, surrounded by the holy clergy and with the participation of the devout people.
Holy Wednesday: Holy Unction.
With special joy and deep compunction, the Holy Sacrament of Unction was celebrated, highlighting the work of our Diocese in Majunga and North Madagascar. A multitude of faithful came with faith and simplicity of heart to receive the grace and blessing of God, confirming that the Church is a living source of comfort and hope. The compunctionate prayers of Unction revealed the loving-kindness of the Lord, who heals not only bodily illnesses but above all the wounds of the soul, strengthening man in his spiritual struggle.
Especially moving was the participation of the faithful, who took part in the Sacrament with reverence and gratitude, revealing their deep thirst for God. Through Holy Unction it becomes clear that the work of our Diocese in Majunga and North Madagascar is the fruit of faith, love and continuous service.
After Holy Unction came the compunctionate Service of the Washing of the Feet, which gave the gathering special spiritual depth. This sacred rite, which represents the Lord’s act of humility at the Mystical Supper, showed the greatness of service and selfless love. Through it, the faithful were called to imitate the example of Christ, cultivating a spirit of humility and giving towards their neighbour.
These two sacred services showed in a living way that the work of our Diocese in Majunga and North Madagascar continues with faith and self-denial, carrying the light of the Gospel and the hope of the Resurrection to every heart, calling everyone to repentance, faith and practical love.
With special compunction and spiritual emotion, we celebrated yesterday in our Missionary Diocese the Matins of Holy and Great Tuesday.
In this sacred service, our Holy Church calls us to spiritual vigilance through the parable of the Ten Virgins, urging us to be ready to receive Christ the Bridegroom with the lamps of faith and good works alight.
Let us struggle, then, in these holy days with repentance and humility, so that we may be found worthy to meet the Lord with a pure heart.
Père Athanasios, Sambava, Saint Spiridon.
Thank you very much, my God, because the making of the church furniture in the parish of Saint Spyridon in Sambava is progressing, such as chairs and bench-tables.
Special thanks to Monseigneur Niphon, who entrusted us with carrying it out.
The Orthodox Church under the protection of Saint Spyridon wishes everyone a Holy Week.
We warmly thank God, because the making of the church furniture in the parish of Saint Spyridon in Sambava is progressing steadily, such as the chairs and tables.
We especially thank His Grace Nephon for the trust he showed in carrying out this project.
The Orthodox Church under the protection of Saint Spyridon wishes everyone a good Holy Week
Father Athanasios, Sambava
Today, on the blessed day of Palm Sunday, our Holy Church goes out to meet the Lord who enters Jerusalem humbly, “on a colt, the foal of a donkey”, not with worldly power, but with the power of love. The people welcome Him with palms and cheers, but He knows that His road leads to the Cross; a road that reveals perfect and sacrificial love.
In this spirit of love, the Missionary Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar rejoices especially at the ordination of the new deacon. His diaconate is not merely an office, but a call to sacrifice, giving and love towards God and man. Just as Christ entered humbly in order to serve, so the deacon is called to serve the people of God with a pure heart, humility and selfless love.
Today reminds us that true glory passes through humility and that love is the only power that can transform the world. Let us pray that the new deacon may become a living example of this love and that his life may be a continual offering to all.
A good and blessed Holy Week.
The Missionary Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar lives and breathes in the light of the Bridegroom Service. There we learn to await Christ “in the middle of the night”, with a watchful heart full of love.
Our mission is not only a work, but an expectation of the Bridegroom; a journey of faith, where every soul is called to become a lit lamp, illumined by His love. Service of Vespers.
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My dear brothers and sisters,
Lazarus Saturday is a day of joy and hope for our Holy Church, as it foretells the radiant Resurrection of the Lord. Christ, by raising His friend Lazarus, reveals to us His power over death and calls us all to a new life full of light and faith.
In the Missionary Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar, this message takes on special meaning. In a multi-religious environment, we are called, with discernment, love and respect for all, to bear witness to the truth of the Risen Christ. Our mission is not limited to words, but is expressed above all through practical love, sacrifice and service to every person.
Today too, the Lord addresses His “come forth” to every heart tried by fear, poverty and isolation. We are called to become instruments of His grace, carrying the light and hope of the Resurrection to every corner of the local community.
Let us renew our zeal, strengthen our unity and journey with faith towards Holy and Great Week.
We are already preparing for tomorrow’s great day, Palm Sunday, carefully making the palms that will be offered to the devout faithful, from the palm trees of the church of Saint Nicholas of our Missionary Diocese.
With fatherly love and good wishes,
Today, on the blessed day of Lazarus Saturday, the grace of God overshadowed abundantly the Missionary Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar, granting us the inexpressible joy of performing the Holy Sacrament of Baptism for twenty-three new souls.
On this day, when our Church celebrates the raising of Lazarus by our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a foretaste of the great and world-saving event of the Resurrection. Christ is revealed as the Lord of life and death, the One who “holds the keys of Hades and of death” and grants eternal life.
In the same way, our newly illumined brothers and sisters, through Holy Baptism, have come out of the spiritual tomb of sin and darkness and entered into the light of grace and true life. “As many as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ”; they have become members of His Body, children of God by grace and heirs of His Kingdom.
This missionary blessing is a living testimony that the work of the Church continues unceasingly and that the Resurrection of Christ is active today too, renewing people’s hearts and transforming their lives.
We glorify God for this great blessing and pray that the newly illumined may remain steadfast in the faith, grow “in wisdom and stature and grace” and become radiant members of the Church, carrying the light of Christ into every corner of their lives.
May Christ, the victor over life and death, always raise the souls of us all from every spiritual tomb and lead us to the eternal joy of the Resurrection.
With God’s blessing, the renovation works on the Holy Church of Saint Nicholas, the cathedral of our Diocese, continue with zeal and constant care, both inside and in the surrounding grounds.
Our spiritual goal and hope remains the completion of the works by Lazarus Saturday, the day set for the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism. To this end we are working day and night with unshakeable faith and devotion, offering our service for the beauty of the House of the Lord.
Parish of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Ambohimanarina. Paroisse Saint Damianos et Saint Cosmas Ambohimanarina 29-03-2026
The last catechism lessons of our catechumens are being completed these days, in view of the sacred moment of their baptism, which, God willing, will take place next Saturday afternoon at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas, in the see of our Diocese.
Special emphasis is placed on perhaps the most important lesson of all: learning to make the sign of the Precious Cross correctly and consciously. For the Cross is not a mere gesture, but a confession of faith, power and protection, the seal of a Christian’s life.
At the same time, with anxiety but also hope, we await the completion of the Holy Church, so that it will be ready to receive our newly illumined on the day of the baptisms.
Our joy will be double, as with the baptisms we will also enter Holy and Great Week, the holiest period of the church year, when we are all called to live more deeply the mystery of our faith and salvation.
At this point I feel the need to express my warm and sincere thanks to my co-workers, and especially to the fathers of our Diocese, who with zeal, self-denial and love have worked throughout this period, contributing decisively to the spiritual preparation of the catechumens and to achieving this blessed result.
May the Lord bless everyone’s preparation, strengthen our catechumens and make us all worthy to journey with faith and purity of heart towards Holy Pascha.
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With special compunction and spiritual joy, our Bishops celebrated the Divine Liturgy today at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas, in the Holy Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar, honouring the memory of the Holy Martyrs Mark, Bishop of Arethusa, and Saints Jonah and Barachisius.
The service was presided over by our Shepherd, His Grace Bishop Nephon, surrounded by the holy clergy and with the participation of the devout people.
The Holy Martyrs, by the example of their unshakeable faith and sacrificial love, inspire us to remain steadfast in confessing Christ, even amid the difficulties and trials of life.
Especially within the blessed work of the Mission in North Madagascar, today is a source of strength and hope, as we are called, with faith and self-denial, to serve our fellow human beings and to pass on the light of the Gospel to every soul in need of it.
At the same time, in our Holy Church of Saint Nicholas, where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated, the signs of the renovation are now clearly visible, which fills us with special joy and gratitude to God and to all who contribute to this blessed work.
After the Divine Liturgy, our Shepherd offered a rich breakfast and coffee to the congregation, giving everyone moments of joy, communication and fellowship.
In an atmosphere of prayer and spiritual unity, we all prayed together for health, strength and enlightenment, keenly feeling the presence of God’s Grace.
May the Saints intercede for us all and guide our steps on the path of salvation.
Many happy and blessed years!
At the see of our Diocese, at the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the progress of the renovation works was inspected. These works, which include replacing the floor and generally beautifying the surrounding grounds, have continued at an undiminished pace since the day of the Enthronement. The aim remains their swift completion, so that our Cathedral may be raised to the standard required by its sanctity and its spiritual mission.
Today we visited the school that we have promised to rebuild, accompanied by the contractor and the engineer, so that the necessary works can begin immediately. At the same time, works to restore the nearby well are starting right away, to ensure the pupils have unhindered access to the supreme good of clean drinking water. In addition, the reconstruction and refurbishment of the holy church is being planned; it will be painted in the colours of Greece, blue and white, honouring the Orthodox tradition and our national identity.
Today, in an atmosphere of deep compunction and spiritual emotion, at the Metropolitan Church of Majunga dedicated to Saint Nicholas, of the Holy Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar, we celebrated with special reverence the last Salutations to the Most Holy Theotokos.
This sacred service, a precious treasure of our Orthodox Church, gathered a multitude of devout faithful who came with faith, humility and a prayerful disposition to praise the all-pure person of the Panagia, the Mother of our Lord. The compunctionate hymns of the Akathist resounded in the holy church, filling everyone’s hearts with hope, comfort and spiritual strength.
Throughout the service, the grace of the Most Holy Theotokos was palpable, as the shelter and protection of the people of God, strengthening the faithful in their spiritual struggle. These last Salutations mark our entry into the most compunctionate period of the Church, leading us towards the Holy and Saving Passion and the radiant Resurrection of the Lord.
May our Panagia shelter the Holy Diocese of Majunga and North Madagascar, strengthen the flock, grant peace and health, and make us all worthy to live with a pure heart the world-saving events of these days.
A good and blessed continuation of Holy and Great Lent.
