In Tokyo 75th birthday of the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church
On the occasion of 75th birthday of Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of Japan Daniel, which falls on September 5th, with the blessing of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church with head of the Novospasky stavropegial monastery Bishop Sava of Voskresensk, Vicar of Moscow Diocese, arrived on September 7th in Tokyo.
The delegation was welcomed at the Narita airport by dean of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church protopresbyter Nikolaj Katsuban, priest of the Japanese Church John Ono, first secretary of the Embassy of Russia in Japan S.A. Suhorukov. Bishop Sava and the delegation visited the Cathedral church of the Resurrection of Christ in Tokyo, which is in the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun knows as Nikolai-do, named after Saint Nicholas (Kasatkin) of Japan, where they venerated the relics. Later, Archbishop of Tokyo Daniel, welcomed guests at his residence.
In the evening, Bishop Sava of Voskresensk, celebrated the all night vigil in the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church, church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Meguro, Tokyo.
The celebration of the 75th birthday of Metropolitan Daniel was marked at the Cathedral church of the Resurrection of Christ in Tokyo on 8 September. The Primate of Japanese Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the concelebration of Archbishop Seraphim of Sendai, Bishop Sava of Voskresensk and Archimandrite Gerasim (Sevtsov), as well as the clergy of the Japanese Church. At the end of the liturgy, bishops and clergy served the memorial procession for Patriarch Sergius (Stragorodski) of Moscow and All Russia. In earlier 20th century Patriarch Sergius served in Japan helping Nicholas Equal-to-the-Apostles in preaching the gospel of Christ.
Concluding the holy service, Bishop Sava of Voskresensk convey greeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and handed over to Metropolitan Daniel an Order of the Russian Orthodox Churh, Venerable Seraphim of Sarov of the I degree as a acknowledgement for his fervent multiyear hierchal effort in spreading of Holy Orthodoxy in Japan and on the occasion of 75th birthday.
Bishop Sava and the delegation also visited the Yanaka cemetery in Tokyo, where he prayed at the tomb of Saint Nicholas of Japan Equal-to-the-Apostles, and on tombs of Metropolitan Sergius (Tikhomirov), Bishop Nicholas (Ono) and Metropolitan Theodosius (Nagashima) he served the memorial service.
The delegation of the ROC left for Moscow on September 9th.
Source: Moscow Patriarchate
