Church abroad: Orthodox churches in Kenia are dedicated to Russian saints

Orthodox community of Kenya is the most numerous on the African continent and consists of about a million parishioners from 35 million population of the country.

Today the Kenyan Diocese of the Alexandrian Patriarchate has about 200 churches, tens of church parochial schools and even a seminary in Riruta, suburbs of the Kenyan capital. Some of the village communities are so poor that priests have to celebrate services bare-foot in robes with holes. At the same time, Kenyan churches are full of parishioners on Sundays and feasts.

People stay in the church long after the services, they chant Christian hymns with African motives, dance and play tomtoms and bongs that are essential at the divine service in every Kenyan church.

Acting head of the diocese, Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya and Irinoupolis often dances with his parishioners. Churches in Kenyan villages are usually made of wattle and daub, but big stone churches are being built in many villages, many of them are dedicated to Russian saints – Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, Luka Voino-Yasenetsky, which has been particularly worshipped by the church hierarch.  The Metropolitan speaks Russian fluently and sometimes say prayers in church Slavonic language.

The divine service itself if held in Greek and English languages as well as numerous Kenyan dialects depending on the region.