MOTHER GABRIELLE Papayannis was born in Constantinople October 2, 1897.
In 1932, at age 35, she had a spiritual experience before an icon of Christ and she decides to leave his family.
Increasingly his vocation emerges: to rescue human distress, physical, mental and spiritual, wherever you appealed to his aid, both by the presence, touch and speech.
She gave to the poor almost all her earnings from this work.
the death of his beloved mother March 24, 1954, Avrilia, then aged 56, had a spiritual experience that left him convinced that she was leaving for India.
Prevented by refusing visas to go there immediately, she begins a long journey: Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan
... Finally, that's where she got the visa for India.
She hears the call of the monastic life, left India in August 1959 and joined the Orthodox monastery of Martha and Mary at Bethany, while in Jordan.
Gavriilia mother (Gabrielle), as it was now called, stayed connected until 1966.
It continues its mission of "shifting of God", responding to calls of each other: she spends about one year in Kenya in the Orthodox mission, caring for the sick, teaching the illiterate.
with cancer, she returned to Athens in 1990 after forty days, during Holy Week, the cancer disappears during the celebration of Divine Liturgy.
Then she retired to a hermitage on the island of Leros. She receives at the end of his life, the great monastic schema and March 28, 1992 she left for her final voyage to the heavenly homeland.
As the life of Saint Mary of Paris, Mother Gabrielle is a living manifestation of the abandonment to Divine Providence and the gift of self for the next. Gabrielle had
Mother as practice - it was part of his asceticism - to say "yes" to everything we asked him to do for the welfare of our neighbor.
In response to a missionary who was critical because she did not learn Indian languages in order to evangelize, mother Gabrielle said she had learned five languages:
"The first is the smile, the second the tears, the third touch, the fourth prayer, the fifth of love: with these five languages I travel the world. "
Nun in mind before taking the monastic habit, she had only a few cases personal, she did not have savings, she was ready to accomplish a mission where it was called, on four continents, and waited for God gives a sign, he sends someone on his way to tell him what to do.
STAVRITSA MOTHER THE MISSIONARY (1916-2000) In 1969, Mother Stavritsa received a divine call one night, while sleeping, she had a vision of Christ who said, "Go help the natives of Africa. "Then she sees
places in Africa where she worked thereafter.
So she went to work as missionary to the Orthodox communities in Africa, first in Kenya, where there are many African Orthodox seminary and then Uganda, Zaire and again in Kenya.
In a document written in March 1988, it sums up his work in Africa:
"With any of the servants [of Christ], I worked and I continue to work for his glory by building churches missionary in Africa, in writing of sacred icons to embellish the houses of God, by making clothes and clothing sacred lands by building churches, and ensuring the provision need any other places such as inns and theaters, so that the faithful may enjoy convenient places for catechesis, study and lectures.
I was also the "nurse" and the "doctor" for the people. " Mother
Stavritsa thus contributed to the construction and iconography of twenty churches in Kenya, she also wrote several icons for churches in Uganda.
She was often invited to speak to the faithful, for example at the end of Divine Liturgy, explains the Gospel the day, the meaning of the liturgy and the Orthodox faith.
She particularly liked to talk to children and she taught catechism to children and adults.
But his activities went far beyond the construction of churches, iconography and even the teaching of faith: it was assisting the clergy and faithful in need, she tended the sick, she taught the women sewing, cooking and managing a household, she ensured that young people receive a general education and theology in Greece.
His great success as a missionary based on his virtues: his great faith and love Christians, goodness, kindness, courage, purity, honesty, initiative and creativity. She fell asleep in the Lord in his beloved Africa, Nairobi, January 3, 2000. A Troparion
was written in his honor (Your 8):
O Mother, in thee was preserved exactly the image
For taking your Cross you have followed Christ
And by your actions you taught us to ignore
the flesh because it is ephemeral
But to honor the soul as it is immortal.
Therefore, O fair Stavritsa
Your spirit rejoices with the angels.
Send
Stavritsa Mother of blessed memory (1916-2000)
- "When we have Christian love and that we allow the grace of God direct us, it enlightens us and protects us from all evil."
- "The good God has saved me many times knives, arrows, thieves, snakes, lions and so on. I glorify Him with my whole soul. I put my hope in God and to beg to keep me always in His hands, that I worked for him until my old age. "
- "You do not earn heaven by living a life easy. It is necessary that there be hardship, effort, afflictions, trials.
- "It tests their elected during this short life. The Christians are wise when they see all things in proper perspective and to accept their afflictions that come as an encouragement to get better. "
- "With God's help, anything is possible. The Holy Spirit gave wise illiterate fishermen and taught them new languages, and they could move the multitudes who followed them. "
This blog wants to discover the various Orthodox churches present in Africa and their missionary activities. 
