His Grace Bishop Chrysostomos of Bukoba and Western Tanzania has been inspiring Orthodox faithful across Australia during a recent pastoral visit, sharing the remarkable growth of missionary work in Tanzania and the expanding presence of Orthodoxy throughout the region.
Originally from Plomari on the island of Lesvos, Bishop Chrysostomos (born Dimitrios Maidonis in 1956) has dedicated decades of service to the Orthodox Church. He studied at the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School of Athens and the Theological School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, while also completing studies in catechetics and Byzantine music.
After becoming a monk on Mount Athos in 1982, he was ordained deacon and later priest, serving in the Holy Metropolis of Ierissos in northern Greece. Throughout his ministry, he has undertaken significant pastoral, educational and missionary work, including service in Albania under the guidance of the late Archbishop Anastasios, participation in the Holy Synod’s work on religious movements and heresies, and the publication of more than 30 books.
In 2020, Bishop Chrysostomos was appointed Patriarchal Vicar in Western Tanzania and, two years later, was elected Bishop of Bukoba and Western Tanzania.
On Tuesday, June 9, he visited the Church of the Presentation of Christ in Coburg, Melbourne, where he addressed dozens of faithful, including many young people, about the missionary work of the Orthodox Church in Tanzania.
Speaking about the rapid growth of Orthodoxy in the region, Bishop Chrysostomos described what he called a modern-day miracle, with increasing numbers of young people embracing the Orthodox faith and actively participating in church life.
The Diocese of Bukoba and Western Tanzania now comprises 230 parishes across seven ecclesiastical districts. It includes 100 completed churches, 30 temporary worship spaces, 100 mud-built chapels and 15 missionary stations. The diocese is served by 56 priests, four deacons, 150 catechists, 23 missionaries and 120 church workers, while also maintaining four monasteries.
Beyond its pastoral ministry, the diocese operates a hospital in Bukoba, two secondary schools, a primary school, a seminary, an Orthodox college and a theological school.
Describing the transformation taking place, Bishop Chrysostomos said that “a new Orthodox Greece is being built in the heart of Africa.”
Bishop Chrysostomos will remain in Melbourne until June 18 before returning to Sydney, where the Australian leg of his pastoral journey began.
*Photos supplied by Costas Deves
