The Head of the House of Romanoff has sent a letter of gratitude and congratulations to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

FROM THE HEAD OF THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HOUSE

To His Holiness,
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

Your Holiness,

I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for awarding me the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh I Class—the Church’s highest award.

I was especially moved that Your Holiness chose to present the insignia of the Order to me in this year, when we celebrate the 700th anniversary of the birth of this great Abbot of the Russian Land. My Imperial ancestors, as, indeed, all our people, have always deeply revered St. Sergius, and have turned to him in prayer both in good times and in bad. In fact, one of the vitae of this great Russian saint issued from the pen of my ancestor, Empress Catherine II the Great. And for me and my son and heir, Grand Duke George of Russia, St. Sergius has been one of our most important heavenly patrons, and we feel a constant, living connection to him.

The insignia of the Order of St Sergius, which you have awarded me, represent for me a very dear blessing and symbolize the on-going cooperation that exists between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Imperial House.

Asking your Archpastoral prayers and blessing, please accept my best wishes for the coming New Year and Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please also accept the wishes of a devoted spiritual daughter for your good health, God’s help, and many years of life and service for the benefit of Your Russian flock and Orthodoxy around the world.

H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia

Madrid
December 10/23, 2014