Ecclesial celebrations completed in Thailand
On 15 February 2015, the hierarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of St Nicholas in Bangkok to complete the ecclesial celebrations in the Kingdom of Thailand. As part of the celebrations, the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in Hua Hin and the Church of St Sergius of Radonezh on the island of Chang were consecrated and the foundation stone of the Church of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, was laid in Chiang Mai.
Archbishop Feofilakt of Pyatigorsk and Cherkessk officiated at the Divine Service in the Bangkok church on the Feast of the Meeting of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Concelebrating with him were Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Thailand, archpriest Jan Nilda, a cleric of the New Zealand deanery of the Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand (Patriarchate of Antioch); clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving in the Kingdom of Thailand; and protodeacon Dimitry Kuba, a cleric of the Cathedral of the Saviour in Pyatigorsk.
With the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Feofilakt performed the ordination of deacon Andrei Ivaschenko into priesthood and ordained Antony Phisayavong, Lao citizen, deacon. Both clergymen will perform their service in the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand.
After the Liturgy, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin) warmly greeted Archbishop Feofilakt and asked him to convey to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church the words of filial gratitude from all Orthodox faithful in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos for addressing their needs.
Archbishop Feofilakt greeted all the worshippers on the occasion of the ecclesial celebrations, as the result of which new Orthodox churches had appeared in the land of Siam and the number of Orthodox clergy had increased, conveyed to them the blessing from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, and wished them spiritual strength and sobriety in going in repentance through the forthcoming salutary Lent.