Metropolitan Konstantin of Cairo and North Africa, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, has consecrated the foundation stone for a future Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen in Chongwe, Zambia, according to the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.

The ceremony took place on October 14, the Orthodox feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

On the same day, Metropolitan Konstantin celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Archangel Michael in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Following the service, he met with local clergy to discuss the development of Orthodox church life in the country.

The parish of Saints Constantine and Helen is located in Chongwe, in Lusaka Province, and belongs to the South African Diocese of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa. Its rector is Priest John Musonda, who also serves as dean of Orthodox parishes in Zambia.

In the summer of 2025, Father John was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Konstantin in Moscow and appointed rector of the community. On September 28, he celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in Africa on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The parish has been developing not only as a place of worship but also as a centre of religious life for the local community.

In late May 2025, 14 people were baptized in Zambia. Eleven received baptism at the Saints Constantine and Helen parish in Chongwe, while three others were baptized at the parish of Saint George the Great Martyr in the town of Mwense.

The Russian Orthodox Church has been expanding its parish network across African countries through the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, established in 2021.

According to the exarchate, Zambia currently has seven Orthodox parishes organized into a separate deanery.

In Lusaka, the parish of the Archangel Michael serves as one of the centres of Orthodox worship in the country. Services there are also celebrated by Archpriest Daniil Lugovoy, who is temporarily serving as acting rector of the community while also serving as rector of the Cathedral of Saint Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The laying of the foundation stone in Chongwe marks a further step in the development of the Orthodox community in Zambia, providing a foundation for a permanent church dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen.