Moscow, July 27, 2026
Photo: patriarchia.ru
The Church of the Prophet Daniel in southern Moscow, initially conceived of by Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev, was consecrated on Sunday.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the rite of great consecration and the Divine Liturgy yesterday, July 26. He consecrated the church’s central altar as well as 20 antimensia. He was joined by two bishops and clergy from throughout Moscow, reports Patriarchia.ru.
The service was broadcast live:
During the Small Entrance, the church’s rector, Fr. Ioann Popadinets, was awarded the right to wear a jeweled pectoral cross in recognition of his labors in building the church. Special petitions were offered at the Augmented Litany, and the Patriarch read a prayer for Holy Rus. During the Liturgy, Patriarch Kirill ordained Deacon Ioann Rubtsov, a cleric of the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Cherkizovo, to the priesthood.
Following the Liturgy, Fr. Ioann Popadinets greeted the Patriarch and noted that the church’s construction had been made possible through his support. Fr. Ioann recalled the death of the parish’s first rector, Fr. Daniel Sysoev, who was killed at the site, and thanked the Patriarch for his words of comfort at the time, when he said that Fr. Daniel had suffered for God’s truth.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
In his address, Pat. Kirill reflected on the history of persecution endured by the Russian Orthodox Church during the Soviet period and the current period of church building in Russia. He said that the current era of relative peace for the Church was a time not for spiritual complacency but for strengthening the faith, addressing his remarks in particular to the clergy present.
He recalled the parable of the rich fool from the Gospel of Luke, warning against the temptation to relax simply because “there are no persecutions of any kind.” He also said that the flourishing of Church life in Russia today, including the building of churches on an unprecedented scale, has come about through the intercession of the Confessors and Martyrs who preceded the present generation.
As a gift to the church, the Patriarch presented an icon of St. Luke of Crimea.
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Photo: patriarchia.ru
The parish of the Prophet Daniel was established in the fall of 2003, with Fr. Daniel Sysoev appointed as rector. In the summer of 2006, a small temporary wooden church in honor of the Apostle Thomas was built, and liturgical life began there on November 11, 2006.
Following the martyrdom of Fr. Daniel Sysoev in the church in November 2009, Fr. Ioann Popadinets was appointed rector. Construction on the new Prophet Daniel Church, which was conceived of by Fr. Daniel, began in August 2016 and was carried out by the parish’s own efforts until 2023.
Fr. Daniel Sysoev’s missionary and educational work, which he pursued actively during his time as rector, continues to this day; the parish’s School of Orthodox Missionary Work has since become a vicariate-wide missionary school. The parish also serves as a center for the Southern Vicariate for receiving people who have fallen away from Orthodoxy.
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