MOSCOW: December 25, 2013
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia Congratulates Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, Vicar of the Diocese of Berlin and Germany, on the 30th Anniversary of his Clerical Service

Your Grace!

Please accept my heartfelt greetings on your 30th anniversary as a clergyman.
In your youth, you expressed a fervent desire to devote your talents and abilities to the benefit of the Church of Christ. With zeal for the ascetic life, you firmly decided to make your monastic vows to the Lord in the Monastery of St Job of Pochaev in Munich, where you fulfilled various obligations with dedication.

More than ten years ago, the Lord deemed that you choose the lot of Apostolic service, and now you earnestly labor in this responsible field of work as the Vicar of the Berlin Diocese, helping your Ruling Bishop strengthen the people of God in their faith, teaching your pastors the work of love and mercy, calling all to preserve devotion to Christ no matter the challenges of human life.

I prayerfully wish you good health, spiritual strength and grace-filled help from the Merciful Master of heaven and earth in your continuing archpastoral service.

With love in the Lord,
+KIRILL,
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA