Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, congratulated the rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg (South Africa) Archpriest Daniil Lugovoy and parishioners on the occasion of the patronal feast.
To Archpriest Daniil Lugovoy, Rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg, and its parishioners
Dear Father Daniil, brothers and sisters!
I cordially congratulate you on the patronal feast and the anniversary of the consecration of the temple!
The consecration of the temple and its dedication to the Lord is an ancient tradition of the Church of Christ. Through consecration, the prayer building is born to its spiritual life and becomes capable of accepting the gracious gifts of God.
Twenty years ago, the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg was consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Department for External Church Relations (now His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia). Together with this significant event, a bright candle of Orthodox spirituality was lit in the south of the African continent.
The church named in honour of the Holy Abbot of Russia is the center of spiritual attraction for Russians living in the Republic of South Africa. It can rightfully be called the house of God, the symbol of the unity of the Russian people, the testimony to their unwavering loyalty to Orthodoxy and reverence for the traditions of their ancestors. Church Sacraments, prayers for the health of the living and for the repose of the departed, for peace on Earth are performed here. With the formation of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, the Church of St. Sergius in Johannesburg became the cathedral center of the South African Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On the day of the significant anniversary, I express my heartfelt gratitude to those who took part in the design and construction of the complex of buildings of the temple, its benefactors and trustees. I prayerfully wish you spiritual joy in the Lord, and His generous help in your work, as well as good health, peace and longevity.
Invoking God’s blessing upon you,
+Leonid, Metropolitan of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa
