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ИС ПОЛЛА ЭТИ ДЕСПОТА – На многая и благая лета, владыко!
Your Eminence,
The Faculty, Administration, and seminarians of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Orthodox Theological Seminary filled with joy and happiness, offer our prayerful best wishes and greetings as you celebrate your seventieth birthday.
You have been instrumental in the growth and formation of numerous clergy and lay leaders of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Your genuine and pure love, dedication, respect, interest, and care has touched us all; and has shown us what it means to be a true follower of Christ. You have been the leading voice for unity of Orthodoxy in North America, rather than be limited to the artificial division based on jurisdictional lines. Time and time again, you show us that we must be united with each other in a true bond of communion, a bond renewed and strengthened as we stand together at the Lord’s Altar and humbly give our lives for the well-being of the whole body of the Church. No one of us on our own can single-handedly accomplish Christ’s mission in a satisfactory way, but together, we can manifest and fulfill the prayer of Christ that all might be one so that the world might believe and trust in Christ.
We thank you for tireless labour in shaping, molding and forming the future leaders of our Church. You continue to motivate us, and show us the pathway and long journey towards holiness. As you celebrate your birthday, we join you in this celebration with prayers of thanksgiving for your ministry in our Lord’s Holy Vineyard. God grant you Many Blessed years!
By Rdr. Ananias Ananievski
