On 22nd April 2023, Bright Saturday, Archpriest Andrei Novikov celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. Concelebrating with him were local clergymen of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.
Among those who attended the divine service was Mr Alexei Buryak, counsellor-minister of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Madagascar, as well as the Embassy staff members, representatives of the local Russian community and the Malagasy Orthodox Christians.
The liturgical languages were Church Slavonic and Malagasy. The hymns were performed by a choir of a local female monastic community of the Patriarchal Exarchate.
The Easter messages from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and from Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, were read out.
After the Liturgy, the Paschal Moleben (prayer service) was celebrated. During a coffee hour that followed Archpriest Andrei Novikov spoke with the parishioners on various religious topics.
Later that day Fr. Andrei baptised an infant born into a Russian-Malagasy family.
Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa
