24 November 2024

2024-11-24 Archbishop Kirill of San Francisco and Western America Turns 70

November 11/24, 2024, marks the 70th birthday of His Eminence Archbishop Kirill (né Boris Mikhailovich Dmitriev) of San Francisco and Western America

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Boris Mikhailovich Dmitriev was born in San Francisco on November 24, 1954. From his youngest years he participated in the Divine Services. In 1972 he was ordained a reader by Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco and Western America. After finishing high school in that same year, he entered Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, then studied at the University of San Francisco, receiving a bachelor’s degree in theology. He studied at St. Vladimir's Seminary, where in 1979 he was awarded a master’s degree in theology. He was deeply loyal to the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duke Wladimir Kirillovich.

 

He received the monastic tonure in Jerusalem in 1981 with the name Kirill in honour of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril, Enlightener of the Slavs (name day on February 14/27), and then was ordained a hierodeacon by the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky). That same year, he was ordained a hieromonk by Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) and was assigned to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, where he taught Russian and English at the Russian School in Bethany, just outside East Jerusalem.

 

He was transferred in 1982 to the Diocese of San Francisco and Western America (see his biography at (https://www.synod.com/synod/engrocor/enbio_arbpkyrill.html). In 1987 he was appointed the Director of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Russian School at the Cathedral of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” In that same year was elevated to the rank of hegumen.

 

In 1992 he was ordained Bishop of Seattle and Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco and Western America. After the death of Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) in 2000, he was appointed the ruling bishop of the Diocese.

 

In November 2003, he participated in the first meeting of an official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia with His Holiness Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and All Russia. Later that year, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop at the meeting оf the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad on December 13-17.

 

He served as a member of the Commission for Negotiations with the Moscow Patriarchate (2006) and made a significant contribution to the effort to reunify the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church—the Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate (Act of Canonical Communion signed on May 4/17, 2007—see: https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/713.html).

 

In 2008, Archbishop Kirill was elected the Second Deputy Chairman of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and also appointed to the post of Secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

 

He helped organise the pilgrimage of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia to San Francisco on April 23 – May 10, 2010 (see https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/2311.html).

 

On June 3, 2010, he represented the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia at the funeral and burial of H.I.H. the Dowager Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna (see https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/2344.html).

 

In 2011, he was given the administration of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Mexico.

 

Two years later, in 2013, he was one of the principal organisers of the celebrations in the United States of the 400th anniversary of the end of the Time of Troubles, the restoration of Russian statehood, and the calling of the House of Romanoff to the throne (1613) and the visit of the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in connection with these celebrations (see https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/3645.html and https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/3929.html).

 

In 2015, Archbishop Kirill donated a fragment of the holy relics of St. John, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco to be placed in an icon of this Great Miracle Worker of our time, to be taken to Mount Athos by H.I.H. The Tsesarevich, Heir, and Grand Duke George of Russia during his pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain on April 22-26, 2015 and donated to the Holy Monastery of St. Pateleimon (see https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/4376.html).

 

The Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, recognised Archbishop Kirill’s extraordinary services to the Holy Church and the Russian Imperial House by awarding him the Imperial Orders of St. Anne II Class (2010) and First Class (2013), and the Imperial Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, II Class (2014). In 2013, Archbishop Kirill was awarded the right to wear the Imperial medals “Anniversary of the People’s Victory. 1613-2013” and “In Memory of the 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff. 1613-2013” (in silver); and in 2014 – the Imperial medal “In Memory of the 100th Anniversary of the Great War 1914-1918” (in silver). In 2017, Archbishop Kirill was awarded the right to wear the Imperial Monogram (in gold) and the Imperial Medal “Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duke Wladimir Kirillovich. 1917-2017.”

 

***

 

On the occasion of the 70th birthday of His Eminence Archbishop Kirill, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent him the following letter of congratulations:

 

To His Eminence,

Archbishop Kirill of San Francisco and Western America

 

Your Eminence,

 

I extend to you my heartfelt congratulations on this significant personal date: your 70th birthday.

 

Having dedicated your life to serving the Lord, you have had the honour to fulfill many weighty obediences in the Church of Christ, and have laboured hard in the fields of spiritual instruction and enlightenment.

 

Your zeal for the glory of God and for the preaching of the Holy Gospel have found favour in the eyes of the Creator, Who entrusted you with becoming the successor of the Apostolic staff and placed the episcopal omophorion upon your shoulders, so that you, paying attention to yourself and to the whole flock (Acts 20:28) and constantly fanning into flames within yourself the gift of God (2 Tim. 1:6), may preach the Word and exhort the flock with all long suffering and edification (2 Tim. 2:4), and care for the development of a robust Church life in the San Francisco Diocese.

 

I pray for your good health, for courage of spirit, and for generous help from the Lord in your future episcopal service for the benefit of Holy Orthodoxy.

 

With love in Christ

 

+KIRILL

 

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

 

***

 

The Head of the Russian Imperial House of Romanoff, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, by a patent issued on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, dated October 22/November 4, 2024, “in recognition of his services to the nation, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russian Imperial House, and on the occasion of his 70th birthday, and as a testimony of Our special favor,” awarded Archbishop Kirill the Imperial Order of the St. Alexander Nevsky.

 

***

 

Grant, O Lord, a blessed and peaceful life, health and salvation, and success in all good endeavours to Thy servant Archbishop Kirill, and keep and preserve him for many years.

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