To the Founding Rector of St. Philaret’s Institute, Fr Georgy Kochetkov, on his 75th birthday
Most revered and dearly beloved Father Georgy, it is from hearts overflowing with gratitude that we congratulate you on your 75th birthday!
We wish to mark this beautiful and significant milestone by echoing the words of St. Hilarion, author of the “Sermon on Law and Grace” which was addressed to St Vladimir, Baptizer of Rus’: “Each country, city, and nation honours and glorifies its own teacher, through whom its people were instructed in the Orthodox faith. In like manner let us praise our own teacher and guide, though in weakness and with modest words, for [our presbyter and spiritual guardian Georgy] has accomplished great and wondrous deeds!”
You turned to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit while still in your early youth, under the harsh conditions of Soviet oppression. You chose the narrow and thorny path, devoting yourself to serving Him and those who know Him not, even though you might have chosen the much broader and outwardly impressive path of service to science. And God blessed you, a truth to which the many thousands of people who turned to Christ and came into His Church through you and your disciples bears witness. With God’s help you went on to create opportunities for them to strengthen their faith: you revived patristic catechesis and introduced multi-level theological education.
You were directly and personally involved in returning to the Church many temples of worship that had once been taken from Her; in these temples our Orthodox worship has been restored and now rings out in our native Russian tongue, enabling full participation of all who pray, helping to bridge any opposition between “clergy” and “laity”.
You have called those who firmly resolved to follow you further into a life in spiritual communities and brotherhood, based on that of the early Christian community of the apostles – the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have gathered a living Church Brotherhood which, we believe, carries within itself the leaven of repentance for the sins of the 20th century and the rebirth of our Church as a true brotherhood in Christ. You direct all members of the Transfiguration Brotherhood toward unceasing service to God and the Church.
And so now it is with great joy that we see “much fruit” in your ministry. This sort of fruit can only be borne by one who abides in Christ as a branch abides in the vine, and Christ in him. (John 15:5)
It is with gratitude and love that we pray that the Lord will bless you and grant you to continue your ministry for many good years to come!
With filial love in Christ,
Rector Alexander Kopirovsky,
with the faculty, staff, and students
of St. Philaret’s Orthodox Christian Institute