It was an answer to prayer! He felt a strong desire to meet his Russian Orthodox brothers and sisters from Africa. He had even started looking at plane tickets...

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It was an answer to prayer! Fr. Joseph Gleason is an American priest living in Russia, and he was recently reading about the large number of Orthodox baptisms currently taking place in Africa. Fr. Joseph said that he read the news, and felt a strong desire to visit Africa himself, so that he could meet his Russian Orthodox brothers from Africa. He had even started looking at plane tickets.

Less than a week later, Fr. Joseph was serving a liturgy with his bishop at a monastery in Borisoglebsky, not far from Rostov Veliky. He didn't say anything about his desire to meet Orthodox Christians from Africa. Out of the blue, his bishop informed him that an Orthodox priest from Uganda would be visiting the area in a few days. The priest understands English, but not Russian, so the bishop asked Fr. Joseph if he would be willing to serve with the priest in English. Of course, Fr. Joseph gladly agreed!

So on Thursday, February 2, at 6:00 in the morning in Solba monastery, Fr. Joseph celebrated the divine liturgy in English, with Fr. Herman assisting. Fr. Joseph read the Gospel in both English and Church Slavonic.

Fr. Ilya, a hieromonk from Serbia, was also visiting and helping out. Jeremy Gleason and Noah Bowling assisted as altar servers. The choir included multiple English speakers from Russia and from America, and they chanted the entire service in English.

After the liturgy, Fr. Joseph and Fr. Herman enjoyed a nice breakfast at the cafe in Solba monastery, and they discussed the growth of Orthodox Christianity in Africa. Fr. Herman, who was recently ordained to the priesthood, said that he will be serving the liturgy in both English and Ateso, a language widely used in Uganda.

Fr. Herman said that his church in Uganda has about 80 members, and that currently they have to serve the liturgy in a large tent. In time, we pray that they will be able to build a permanent church building that will last for generations to come.

Fr. Joseph, Fr. Herman, Fr. Ilya

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