Olga Papasarandou

Olga Papasarandou (in Greek: Όλγα Παπασαράντου (Ólga Papasarándou)) (1904 in Roino-19 August 1996, in Athens) was a Greek Eastern Orthodox nun, nurse, and missionary who pursued a missionary career in Katanga, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Sometimes referred to as the "Orthodox Mother Teresa", she was one of the first modern Orthodox missionaries. She played a significant role in the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the missions of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Buried in a monastery in Megara, her remains were transferred to Kananga in 2005 at the request of the local Eastern Orthodox community.

Biography Olga Papasarandou was born in Roino, Greece, in 1904. Her parents were devout Eastern Orthodox Christians, but she lost her mother at an early age and had to take on household responsibilities in her place. After a period of hesitation and prayer, she decided to accept the call and joined him. This led her to Father Chariton Pnevmatitakis in Patras, whom she persuaded to join her in continuing the mission.

In 2012 and 2019, Theodore II of Alexandria visited her grave. She is sometimes referred to as the "Orthodox Mother Teresa".

She and her collaborators are generally regarded as among the first Eastern Orthodox missionaries of the modern era, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.