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St Mary Stoke Newington is linked with the Church of the Epiphany Tete

[Source: Fr Graeme Watson, St Mary Stoke Newington, 2006]

In 1998 Bishop Dinis visited the parish of St Mary Stoke Newington, in the Stepney Area of London, and challenged us to make a link with a parish in Mozambique. He proposed the Church of the Epiphany, Tete.

In Mozambique Tete is an important place geographically. It is here that the mighty Zambezi River is first bridged. It is capital of the third most populous province in the country, with approximately 1 million people. Of these some 100,000 live within the municipality of Tete. Tete is also situated near the borders of three neighbouring countries - Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Yet another significant factor is the Cahora Bassa dam. The hydro-electric power station here supplies electricity not only for Mozambique, but also for Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The potential is even greater. Additional hydro-electric schemes further down the Zambezi are planned, bringing more work opportunities, and making this province an essential part of Mozambique’s developing economy.

For eight years the relationship between our two parishes was developed by letter. We have prayed regularly for the parish, and they for us. We have also sent them some gifts. In 2005 it was decided that the time had come to arrange a visit and four members of our 200-strong multi-ethnic congregation were chosen as delegates. After six months of fund-raising, and enhancing the profile of our link by various social events, pictures and information, the four delegates were commissioned. They set off for Tete in mid-June 2006. You can read all about this first visit in the Visit Reports section.

The parish of the Church of the Epiphany, Tete, is a relative newcomer in the diocese of Lebombo. It was founded by a Mozambiquan business man called Papane in the 1980s, who built a small church at the back of his house. Later some land about a mile from the city centre was acquired, a single-storey house for the priest built, and plans drawn up for a permanent church.

But there is still no church because the parish, which at present numbers some 60-80 souls including children and young people, does not have the funds. Just to make ends meet - that is, to pay for their day-to-day expenditure and to contribute to the priest’s modest pay - takes almost all the money they can raise. Yet by a great effort during the last two years, they have managed to collect enough money to build the church up to head height. Much remains to be done before it can come into use.

We have invited the Church of the Epiphany to come to London in 2008 to help us celebrate the first 150 years of our own glorious so-called “New Church”. It is our prayer and hope that by then their church will have been completed and dedicated.