To His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada

Your Beatitude, beloved Brother and Concelebrant at the Altar of God!

I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on a significant milestone in your life—your 60th birthday.

The All-Knowing Lord, manifesting His abundant mercy in a special way, called you to the Church so that you might subsequently become a zealous laborer in His Vineyard.

By the good and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2), having received the name of Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, at your monastic tonsure, you were granted the grace of his heavenly intercession and called to the high ministry of a Primate for the building up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12).

On this momentous day, I pray that the Lord may continue to renew and replenish your strength, strengthen you in your primatial labors for the good of the Orthodox Church in America, and preserve you in good health for many years.

With fraternal love in Christ,

+KYRILL
Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'