The Diocese

The History of the Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar

From the first Greek communities to today’s Orthodox mission

The first roots of Hellenism in Madagascar

The history of Orthodoxy in Madagascar is closely bound up with the presence and work of the Greeks who settled on the great island of the Indian Ocean. It is a story of faith, emigration, creativity and giving, which began with the first Greek families and continues today through the work of the Orthodox Church.

The earliest recorded evidence of a Greek presence dates back to the 19th century. According to the archives of the Greek Community, one of the first Greeks active in Madagascar was Nicolo Kritikos, a merchant. Between 1880 and 1890 the Melis brothers are also recorded, whose name became linked with the business life of the capital, Antananarivo.

The first great wave of Greek emigration came between 1910 and 1939, and a second followed the Second World War. The Greeks who settled on the island came from Crete, the Dodecanese, Samos, Kefalonia, the Peloponnese and other parts of Greece.

Despite the hardships of life abroad, they kept the Greek language, their traditions and their Orthodox faith alive, founding communities and places of worship.

The founding of the first Orthodox churches

The need for spiritual life and church unity led the first Greek emigrants to build Orthodox churches.

The town of Mahajanga (Majunga), in north-western Madagascar, holds a special place in this story: it was home to one of the oldest Greek communities on the island.

Here the Church of St Nicholas was founded, a focal point of the spiritual life of the Greeks of the region. This historic church, linked with the first Greek emigrants and rebuilt in the 20th century, is today the Cathedral of the Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar.

In the capital, Antananarivo, the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God was built in 1948–1949 and became the centre of the church life of the Greek community.

These churches were not simply places of worship. They were spiritual homes where the Greeks of the diaspora preserved their faith, their language and their cultural identity.

The growth of the Orthodox Mission

Over the decades, the Orthodox presence in Madagascar took on a wider missionary character.

An important milestone was the work of the late Bishop Nektarios Kellis, who arrived in Madagascar in 1974 and devoted himself to preaching the Gospel and to the spiritual support of the local people.

The missionary work grew step by step, with the founding of parishes, the catechesis of the faithful and the birth of communities that embraced the Orthodox Christian faith.

On 23 September 1997, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Holy Diocese of Madagascar was founded, with Nektarios Kellis as its first bishop.

After his repose in 2004, the missionary work was continued by Bishop, later Metropolitan, Ignatios Sennis.

The Orthodox Church kept on growing, building churches, schools, social services and new parish communities in different parts of the island.

The founding of the Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar

A new historic milestone for Orthodoxy in Madagascar came on 7 October 2025.

The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, presided over by His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa, decided, for pastoral reasons, to divide the Holy Metropolis of Antananarivo and Northern Madagascar and to establish the new Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar.

The new Diocese belongs to the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, with its see in the historic town of Mahajanga and the Church of St Nicholas as its cathedral, now fully renovated.

Its founding was an important step towards better pastoral care for the Orthodox communities of Northern Madagascar and the further growth of the missionary work.

The first Bishop of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar

The first shepherd of the new Diocese is His Grace Bishop Nifon (Daskalakis) of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar.

Born in Crete, he brings a long record of social service, theological training and ministry in the Church.

His episcopal ordination took place on 5 December 2025 at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St Sabbas the Sanctified in Alexandria, presided over by His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa.

With his enthronement a new chapter opened in the history of Orthodoxy in Northern Madagascar, focused on spiritual life, strengthening the parishes, supporting the clergy and relieving people who suffer from poverty and hard living conditions.

The Holy Diocese today

Today the Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar continues the historic journey of Orthodoxy in this land, joining the spiritual mission of the Church with practical love for our neighbour.

Its care reaches beyond the churches to the everyday needs of people, especially children and vulnerable families.

Building and maintaining churches, supporting schools, providing access to clean water, giving food and basic necessities and supporting local communities are the core expressions of its missionary service.

Through initiatives such as the “Bag of Life”, the Diocese seeks to respond with love and respect to people’s real needs.

From the first Greeks who reached Madagascar to the Orthodox communities of today, this story bears witness to a faith kept through time, handed down from generation to generation and rooted in a distant land.

The Holy Diocese of Mahajanga and Northern Madagascar carries on this spiritual heritage, guided by the word of the Lord:

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

With faith in God, love for every person and hope for the future, the Orthodox Church in Northern Madagascar continues to carry the message of the Gospel, offering spiritual support, comfort and practical help to everyone in need.