The Most Revd Ian Ernest has been re-elected as the Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean.
The call of the clarion - An open letter to my fellow citizens
I find myself increasingly distressed by some of the goings-on in our country and have decided, in all humility to share a few ideas and reflections with you. For me, the final straw has been the savage murder at Corps de Garde, and one of a series of violent incidents over the last weekend of 5-6 February 2011.
The Dean of Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, Columbus, Ohio visited the Diocese of Seychelles, Province of the Indian Ocean, to confer the degree of Doctor of Divinty, honoris causa, on the bishop, the Right Revd Santosh K. Marray, at a Sung Evensong in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, on Friday August 29th.
By Bishop Roger Chung
The Parish of Sirama was badly flooded during the passage of the devastating cyclone, Indlala.
Official national figures for Madagascar are that 80 people died and 105,000 rendered homeless by the cyclone, yet the diocese kept to its confirmation program.
On April 1, 25 people were confirmed, the youngest being 12 and the oldest a man of 80. The man was blind as a result of the lack of accessible medical facilities.
Greetings to you from my devasted Diocese of Antsiranana in Northern Madagascar:
I am requesting your emergency help to save the people in my Diocese, which was badly hit by fierce tropical Cyclone Indlala on Thursday 15th March.
The homeless, according to official sources in the region, number approximately 5,000.
The town of Antalaha has been badly damaged and the church and school - which has just been repaired - have suffered bad damage. And so it goes for all my 125 church communities in the Diocese: extensive damage to houses, churches and civil infrastructure has resulted from 150-km/hour gust of wind and strong rains.
Theological College in Ambatoharanana
The Prof Gareth Jones of the Canterbury Christchurch University visited Madagascar to explore new ventures in the life of the Theological College in Ambatoharanana. The Theological college of St Paul will be celebrating its 130 yrs of active theological teaching in 2008. Bishop Roger Chung Jaomalaza who is the Chair of the Theological College Board of Madagascar, convened a meeting on Friday 16th Feb 2007 at St Paul's Theological College with all the Bishops of Madagascar , i.e. Antananarivo, Toamasina, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga and Antsiranana and the staff of the college for a special meeting focussed on the future of the Theological education in Madagascar. An action plan will be set up to clarify and identify the stages of the processes of the new theological education venture.
Three new churches have been dedicated in the Anaborano Ifasy region.
The newly commissioned incumbent, the Revd Arsene Euloge, was ordained only last year but he has already been very active in organising parish work.
Bishop Roger Chung Jaomalaza recently confirmed 157 young people and adults in a five-hour service in the parish. Major festivities followed.
The new St Jacob church in Ankoby is finished except for the door and windows. The inauguration took place recently, preceded by a festive celebration of a village wedding.
The church in Ambakaraka is in a predominently Moslem area and will also be doing active mission in the region.
A generator has been given to the parish of Anaborano Ifasy. It will not only serve the parish, but will also be a source of income, offering electricity to the isolated rain forest village.
A new school will be started in Anaborano Ifasy next year.
News from the Diocese of Antsiranana
The new Bishop of the Seychelles, the Right Rev. Santosh Marray, was consecrated in Mahe in the Seychelles on March 5 this year.
Among those who attended the consecration in St. Paul's Cathedral, Mahe, were the Most Revd Remi Joseph Rabenirina, Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean and the Bishop of Antananarivo in Madagascar; the Rev. French Chang-Him, the former archbishop, and the Bishop of Antsiranana diocese, Madagascar, the Right Revd. Roger F.H. Chung Po Chuen.
Bishop Marray succeeds Bishop French, who retired last year, as Bishop of the Seychelles.
Photographs of the event are available here:
http://www.aco.org/provincialnews/antsiranana/client/news/client_news_detail.cfm?naid=227
More than 60 people were confirmed in Sirama Parish at a service on Sunday March 20, 2005.
The confirmations were carried out by the Right Revd Roger F H Chung Po Chuen, the Bishop of Antsiranana in the Eklesia Episkopaly Malagasy. The Rev. J. Ravelomanana is in charge of the parish.
Sirama Parish is in a sugar-producing area in the north of Madagascar.
The church is growing in the north of Madagascar -- the church building in the town of Ambilobe in the Antakarana is being extended.
"We laid the foundation for the extension of the Church on Wednesday 9 March, with Archdeacon Rakotovao Alphege who is the Parish priest," reports the Rt Revd Roger FH Chung Po Chuen, Bishop of Antsiranana.
