Bishop Basil Rodzianko of the Orthodox Church in America passed away on September 17

BISHOP BASIL RODZIANKO OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 17

The newly deceased will be buried in the family grave of the New-Diveyevo monastery on September 24. On September 23, His Beatitude Theodosius, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, together with the hierarchs and clergy of the Orthodox Church in America celebrated requiem service. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent a telegram of condolences to His Beatitude Theodosius, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada:

‘Our heart was filled with grief when we learned about the demise of Bishop Basil Rodzianko. On behalf of bishops, clergy and flock of the Russian Orthodox Church we express our profound condolences to the relatives and are those who were close to the deceased archpastor. I have known Vladyka Basil personally for many years as a theologian, tireless preacher of the world of God and zealous archpastor who ardently loved Russia, the naive land of his forefathers. I shall ever cherish good memory of him. I am giving my unspoken last kissing to the deceased on the day of his parting with this earth and pray for the rest of his soul in the heavenly mansions.’

His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, also sent a telegramme of condolences to His Beatitude Theodosius, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada:

‘Your Beatitude! I received sorrowful news of the demise of Bishop Basil and express my sincere condolences to clergy and flock of the Orthodox Church in America and to his near and dear ones. Zealous work of Bishop Basil in the field of archpastoral ministry and social service have brought him deserved respect and heartfelt love of many people. His fellow archpastors, clergy and laymen both on the American continent and in Russia with which he was bound by kinship ties and to which he had given a part of his heart, will cherish his memory. May the Lord who loves mankind rest the soul of the late-lamented Bishop Basil in the mansions of paradise.’