Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk visits Singapore and Malaysia

On 3 February 2017, Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk began his first visit to Asia as administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate’s parishes in the region.

The visit of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) to Malaysia and Singapore in 2003 opened the door to the development of activities of the Orthodox community in these countries. The Parish of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Singapore, established in 2007, now has two priests and a deacon. On Sundays and feast days some 100-150 people attend the church for the Divine Services; the parish has a Sunday school and carries out a large-scale social ministry.

In 2009 the clerics of the Parish of the Holy Dormition began to celebrate the Divine Services on a regular basis at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Kuala Lumpur. In 2012 the Russian Orthodox Parish of the Holy Archangel Michael received a permanent place of worship in Malaysia’s capital. There are two priests in the parish. One of them, the Malaysian, takes pastoral care of the English-speaking faithful. Some 40-50 people gather at the church for Sunday prayer. Staff members of Russia’s Embassy in Malaysia take an active part in the life of this parish.

Upon his arrival in Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk met with H.E. Mr. Valery Yermolov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Malaysia. Discussed at the meeting was a wide range of issues, including the activities of the Parish of Archangel Michael in Kuala Lumpur. On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Sergy presented Mr. Yermolov with the medal of the Russian Orthodox Church “In Commemoration of the Millennium of the Blessed Demise of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles.”

On February 4, the archpastor officiated at the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael in Kuala Lumpur. Concelebrating with him were Hegumen Pavel (Khokhlov), senior priest of the parish; Hieromonk Pitirim (Dodenko), a cleric of the Parish of the Holy Dormition in Singapore; and Hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin), a cleric of the Moscow Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino. Praying at the service were numerous worshippers from Russia, Ukraine, Malaysia, as well as Mr. Yermolov with his spouse.

On February 5, Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, commemoration day of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, Archbishop Sergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Parish of the Holy Dormition in Singapore. Concelebrating with him were the local clerics, Hieromonk Pitirim (Dodenko), Rev. Yevgeny Shmelyov and Deacon Dimitry Semash. Among those who attended the service were worshippers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Singapore and other countries. After the Liturgy the archpastor conducted a wedding of the parishioners – Konstanin, a citizen of Singapore, and Alexandra, a citizen of Russia.

On February 10, Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk met with H.E. Mr. Andrei Tatarinov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Singapore. Among other things, the participants in the meeting discussed the construction of a Russian Cultural Centre and a Russian Orthodox church in Singapore. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Sergy presented Mr. Tatarinov with the medal of the Russian Orthodox Church “In Commemoration of the Millennium of the Blessed Demise of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles.”

Later that day the archpastor attended a reception given by Russia’s Ambassador on Diplomat’s Day.

Archbishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk will also visit Vietnam and Cambodia.

DECR Communication Service