The Patriarch of Alexandria, His Beatitude Theodoros II, has laid the foundation stone for a new school in Madagascar – the 13th to be built in the region – funded by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (GOAA).
The landmark moment came during his pastoral visit to the Diocese of Toliara and South Madagascar, where he also inaugurated an orphanage and led memorial prayers for church leaders who perished in the 2004 Mount Athos helicopter tragedy.
More than 1,000 children already study at the 12th school in the diocese, also donated by the GOAA.
The Patriarch expressed deep gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia for his consistent aid, highlighting the importance of education and care for vulnerable children as a living witness of the Church’s mission in Africa.
The day culminated with the opening of the “Athinoula” Orphanage, created to protect twins at risk of abandonment due to harmful local superstitions. Surrounded by mothers and children, the Patriarch described the orphanage as “a place where the Church becomes a mother, sheltering and raising life.”
