Metropolitan Konstantin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa and head of the Archdiocese of Cairo and North Africa, has begun a pastoral visit to Uganda, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa reported. The hierarch’s first visit to the country took place last year.

On 6 December, Metropolitan Konstantin celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the parish of St. Alexios in the village of Nkokonjeru. Before the service, he baptized 17 children. The Liturgy was conducted in English, Luganda, and Church Slavonic, drawing together parishioners and students from the parish school.

Following the service, the metropolitan blessed the ground for a new church dedicated to St. Alexios and held a meeting with the clergy of the local deanery. He also visited the parish school, inspecting the living and learning conditions of its students.

Later that day, the exarch traveled to the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the village of Mawangala, where he was warmly received by the rector, parishioners, and pupils of the local school.

During his previous visit to Uganda, Metropolitan Konstantin toured several parishes of the exarchate, celebrated services, baptized 10 people, and blessed the foundation stone of a new church in honor of St. John of Shanghai. He also convened meetings with deanery clergy, received three priests into the Russian Orthodox Church from the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and met with candidates for seminary studies. The metropolitan visited the Apostles Peter and Paul Children’s Education Center and concluded his trip with a meeting with the Russian ambassador to Uganda.