MOSCOW: March 17, 2017
Patriarchal Congratulations on the 60th Birthday of Bishop John of Caracas

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on his 60th birthday.

Your Grace, Bishop John of Caracas and South America:

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your 60th birthday, and the 30th anniversary of your clerical service.

As a young man, you chose the monastic path in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. Here you made your monastic vows, and then were ordained to the diaconate and then priesthood.

The Chief Pastor, our Lord, seeing your firm faith and hope in His most-wise Providence, summoned you to the episcopal service, so that, accepting this apostolic call, you would “speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

Now, as bishop of the South American Diocese, you exert no small effort to illuminate your contemporaries with the Light of the Gospel truths and bear witness to your neighbor near and far of the truth of Orthodox Christianity.

In recognition of your earnest labors and to mark this important day, I deem it fitting to grant you the Order of St Sergius of Radonezh, 3rd Degree.

I prayerfully wish you spiritual and physical strength, boldness of spirit and the grace-filled aid of the Almighty in your continuing archpastoral work.

With love in the Lord,

+KIRILL,
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

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