Borrowing the words of this great Father of our Church, a true river of honey-flowing wisdom, and in the blessed afterglow of the lofty and grace-filled visit to our missionary Eparchy by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, I raise up thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father, who has gifted our local Church with willing co-workers—all of you, the Volunteers.
With great paternal joy, emotion, and pride in the Lord, I send this letter of gratitude to express, both on behalf of the Holy Metropolis and personally, our heartfelt thanks for your honorable presence at the Thyranoixia Service of the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm, as well as for your multifaceted service in so many areas during the preceding days of the Patriarchal Visit.
Whether by caring for the final phase of the complete interior restoration of our Cathedral, or by offering your driving skills to transport our esteemed guests, or by contributing to the cleanliness and proper appearance of the church, the Fellowship Hall, and the courtyard, or by serving lovingly and eagerly in the preparation and offering of the luncheon blessed by the venerable Head of Orthodoxy Himself after the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, or by assisting as the welcoming committee, or by presenting the introductions at my book presentation on my blessed predecessor, the late Metropolitan Polyefktos Finfinis, or by singing in the youth choir, chanting, those responsible for the live broadcast of the Patriarchal Chorostasia and the book presentation, as well as for the photography of the events in our Cathedral, or supporting wherever there was need—your efforts were invaluable.
Your ministry —sacrificial and silent— testifies that the Gospel is not only a word, but a living act; that a person can become a “minister of the Gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15).
Just as the Church sings, “Christ, who fills all things, renders all recompense,” so also do I pray that the Lord of glory may reward you many times over for your labor, your time, and the love you have so generously offered.
In a society where self-interest and indifference often prevail, your tangible love becomes a sign that Christ lives and works within His members. You are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13–14), and the spiritual seed you have sown will bear fruit unto eternal life!
In the name of the Holy Metropolis and its faithful people, I sent you my heartfelt thanks.
I embrace you all with fatherly love, and I pray that our Lord may grant you health, peace, and spiritual joy, and may He crown your labors with His inexhaustible grace.
With all my love in the Lord, boundless thanks, and deepest gratitude,
† Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia
