Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya received about a month ago into the Orthodox Church the first-born son of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Fidel Castro Odinga (named after the Cuban revolutionary leader), who was accompanied by his then future wife Lwam Getachew Bekele who is half Eritrean and half Ethiopian.
The couple had expressed their great desire for Fidel to join the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Having made the necessary arrangements, catechism, etc, His Eminence celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism in the large baptistry of the Orthodox Patriarchal School “Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus”, baptizing Fidel, together with 22 others, and giving him the name Makarios.
On July 28 His Eminence celebrated Fidel’s and Lwam’s marriage ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral Church of the Holy Unmercenaries in Nairobi.
The ceremony was attended by the parents of both newlyweds, and the Metropolitan, in the end, gave fatherly admonitions as they embark on their new journey together.
Wedding Photos
Welcome home Fidel, I am Kenyan and orthodox, baptized two months ago. This is the best choice I have ever made in my life. Glad to know my country is on the right path of Christian. And congratulations on his wedding.
Amen, Dolly. What a glorious event!
It’s so gracious Father, we appreciate you and the work you doing, really proud of you, I pray for God to keeping blessing you to reach and bless many more as you were a blessing throughout my journey. We celebrate you Fr. Peck. I am so happy that the real and true Christian, that I am now part of, is growing across the world and more so to my own country Kenya, I am happy I made this move the time I got to do it….it has been an exciting and wonderful journey to orthodoxy.
Dolly, thank you for the kind and encouraging words! You must write up YOUR journey and let me publish it for the whole world to see. It will inspire so many others!
This is a beautiful thing. God Bless Fidel…I am glad you came home.
GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST! Orthodoxy gets more “beautiful” as time moves on; especally
when it comes to “converts”!!!! I too am a “convert” to Holy Orthodoxy! I was CHRISMATED
on Meatfare Sunday 2 March 2003. I believe it was in Kosovo that 500 (students) were rece-
ived into Orthodoxy all at once!!! These were High School students, Junior High and so on!!
God Grant Fidel and his lovely (wife) many, many happy years!!!
Wonderful!