All Saints Hampton is linked with Todos os Santos, Nacala

My desire for our parish to have a link with Mozambique arose from two events in July 1998.

On the 12 July I went with our then vicar, David Vanstone, to the Feast of the Kingdom service at St Paul’s Cathedral during which the Covenant between the Dioceses of London, Lebombo, Niassa and the Archdeaconery of Angola was signed. Then on the 15 July I visited my son in Maputo, where he was teaching IT. During my time in Maputo I visited St. Cyprian's Church and met a member of the Mothers’ Union.

Sometime later, Bishop Michael informed our vicar that he had found us a link parish in Nacala Port, Niassa Diocese, appropriately called Todos os Santos. The parish started life by praying together with a Roman Catholic congregation. After managing to buy a plot of land from the city council, construction of their own church started in 1997 and continued for several years.

Communication was not easy, but we got to hear that the church compound needed a surrounding wall as a defence against mudslides following torrential rain. So we started fund raising and were able to send a cheque for £5000, and some Mothers’ Union badges, when Bishop Michael and his wife Cynthia visited Nacala in November 2002. They were welcomed by Father Damião Jaquissone and celebrated the Eucharist and Confirmation accompanied by wonderful singing and liturgical dance.

In the following years we only received a few reports and a photo of the unfinished wall, but in May 2007 our link was revitalised thanks to a visit to Nacala by two of our parishioners, Richard and Bobbie Ennals.