Moscow priest shot by masked gunman was engaged in evangelism among Muslims
Steve Hayes
Moscow priest who was engaged in evangelism among Muslims, and
was recently shot by a masked gunman
Fr. Daniil Sysoyev's autobiography
"I'm Daniil Alekseyevich Sysoyev, a priest, born 12th of January
in 1974 in Moscow, in a family of drawing-masters. My father,
Aleksey Nikolayevich Sysoyev, a priest, now the senior priest of
St. John the Evangelist Cathedral and the Classical Orthodox
grammar school and the priest in charge of St Peter and Paul
church in Yasenevo. My mother teaches Bible classes at the same
school.
I was baptised on the 31st of October 1977 in Trinity church at
the Vorobyovy Hills by the priest Yevgeniy. Since that time we've
been regular parishioners of St. Nicholas church in Kuznetsky
sloboda. Then we visited the small Cathedral of Donskoi
monastery, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Holy
Virgin, Shabolovka. When my father was a sacristan at the
Beheading of St. John the Baptist Church, I helped him in the
altar and sang in a choir. In summer of 1988 I took part in
restoration work at resurrecting Optina monastery. In the period
of the Church of All Saints I also sang in a choir and its senior
priest recommended that I enter Moscow Seminary.
After leaving secondary school in 1991, I entered Moscow
Seminary. While studying there I had the obedience of choir
singer and senior choir singer of a mixed choir. On the 19th of
December 1994 His Eminence Rostislav, bishop of Magadan and
Chukotka, ordained me reader.
On the 22th of January in 1995 I married Iuliya Mikhaylovna
Brykina. The Holy Mystery of Marriage was celebrated in St. John
the Evangelist Cathedral by the priest Dionisiy Pozdnyayev. In
the same year my first daughter, Iustina was born.
On the 13th of May 1995 His Eminence Yevgeniy, bishop of
Vereiskian ordained me deacon. I graduated from Moscow Seminary
on the 14th June 1995"
Father Daniil Sysoyev, senior priest of Saint Thomas the Apostle
Church and the initiator of a growing community in honor of
Daniel the Prophet. We met on the occasion of the opening of the
mission site in honor of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Olga Kurova
talked to Fr.Daniil.
- Fr. Daniil, we met on occasion of opening a mission site. There
are no prizes for guessing, there has been great preliminary
work. Tell us please the way it all began.
- Recalling just the very beginning, let me see...it was 1993,
when I used to be a missionary in the street. And from the
August of 1996 I have been blessed by His Holiness Alexis II
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to conduct official
discourses at Krutitsy Patriarchal Metochion. First these
discourses were intended for Protestant conversion. Later more
and more occultists and victims of different "sorcerers"
appeared. And at last I turned to Moslem conversion. So, our
center is open for paranormalists' victims, young people who
want to learn the basics of Christianity as well as for non-
Christians.
- What are your goals?
- Not so long ago we dedicated a temporary temple in honor of
Saint Thomas the Apostle. A large missionary temple in honor of
Daniel the Prophet with a chapel of Saint Thomas the Apostle is
being built now. This chapel is already functioning, though as
a separate temple. One of our goals is the conversion of non-
Christians, most of which aren't Russian. The Kantemirovskiy
district of Moscow, where the temple is situated, is a district
of different expatriate communities, It is a place where
different religious sects are very active. Right next to the
temple there is a large Mormon centre, there are Baptists,
Adventists, and occultists. But there were no Orthodox until
quite recently.
We opened a catechetical school about the basics of
Christianity. Every five weeks we conduct a course of five
catechetical discourses for those who want to be baptized or
just to know more about Christianity. The community of Orthodox
Tartars is already functioning in the temple and the
Informational agency of Saint Akhmet is starting its activity.
Very soon we are planning to have an Open Day; we'll paste up
notices around the district saying that all those who wish may
come to the Church and ask the priest any question. Later we'd
like to have such days every three month's.
We work with the youth. Beside our temple there is the Moscow
Engineering and Physical University. Curiously enough, we were
the first ones to hold a service before students' exams.
Services before the beginning of the academic year have already
become traditional in all Orthodox churches, although exams are
a more strained period for students; somehow students don't go
further than lighting candles. Anyway, we hold services before
the exams, after the Liturgy and invite all the students.
- Oh, how can you alone cope with all you have to accomplish?
Have you got assistants, any initiative group?
- Yes, we've got an initiative group; it has been already formed
at Krutitsy Patriarchal Metochion. In addition there is the
Tatar Orthodox community, which has existed since 2003. And
certainly many different Christians of different nations take
part in our mission. After the feast of Holy Theophany of Our
Lord Jesus Christ we hope to open missionary courses. Perhaps,
later, we'll create a missionary institute based on it, and it
will prepare preachers of the New Testament. Preaching will be
different: on the internet, in the street, in universities. We
want to deprive conventicles of their weapon.
- And how do you work with expatriate communities? Let's take the
Azerbaijani, who live near Kantemirovskaya, for example. How
can you enter their community? What can you talk to them about?
- I can't say anything about the Azerbaijani, because I haven't
formed contacts with them yet. But I can say a lot about The
Tatar expatriate community. I have appeared time and again in a
Tatar cultural center, went to Kazan. Tartars are the third
largest national group in Moscow. And our work is quite
successful: many Tartars, especially young ones are becoming
Christians. Since 2003 I have held services in Tartar about
the whorish conversion. [meaning not clear - I queried the
translator]
Our task is to break down the barriers that can be found in the
culture of different nationalities and prevent them from
accepting Orthodoxy. The information that Orthodoxy is
ecumenical, universal, and is destined to accept all
nationalities is still considered to be shocking.
- And how should a true young missionary behave talking to some-
one of the same age?
- A missionary should be the first one to start the conversation
about God, otherwise he is not a missionary. But at the same
time, he should check his own knowledge and skills. He should
be aware of the basic questions his counterparts usually ask
about Christianity. He should remember that attack is the best
form of defense. He should never bow and scrape with each
listener. But at the same time, he mustn't injure somebody's
pride in order to prove his case. Jesus Christ died for
everyone. A missionary should not think of people primarily as
deluded, but that people should be esteemed. He should tear
away falsity, but love a man.
It's difficult for a teenager to swim against the current, to
become a black sheep, but it's essential to take the plunge.
Previously, in the time of my youth, it was considered
prestigious to differ from others. I believe we should restore
that tradition. A black sheep is a noble animal. A real
Christian should be aware of it. And if he fails, he should ask
God for help. A young missionary should certainly be prepared
for his words to arouse indignation. But he shouldn't be afraid
of that. Our mission is to say unpleasant things. Have you
noticed that when reading the Bible you feel uncomfortable? The
Book judges you! But that doesn't mean that the truth should be
kept away. God Himself said: "Woe to you, when all people speak
well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
One more mistake that can lure a missionary is to attempt to
direct the mission to some definite group of people: there
appeared a mission for children, a mission for the youth...
Many clever young people don't adopt it. Why so? That's because
when we talk to young people using their own language, as if
condescending to them, we fix them at this level. But we should
elevate them, teach them wisdom and no leave them at the level
they have probably grown out of. It's even better to talk to
children as if the were grown-ups. Do you remember Makarevich
singing in a very Christian way; "It's not worth dancing to
someone's tune"? That should be a motto not only for the mis-
sionaries, but for all Orthodox Christians.
And certainly we can't forget about prayers and going to the
church, because sometimes invalid missionary outreach can
enthrall a man so that he doesn't pray and go to church.
- And why should we go to the church on Sundays?
- Because Christ gave us such a commandment: "Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work:But the seventh day is the sabbath
of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." He can
demand us to return part of our time as our sacrifice. And the
second thing: we should remember about our Heavenly Lord and
about our Heavenly Motherland.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://khanya.wordpress.com
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
The instruments of the churl are evil: he deviseth
wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words,
even when the needy speaketh right.
But the liberal deviseth liberal things;
and by liberal things shall he stand (Isaiah 32:7-8).
athair ambrois
Holy Martyr-Priest Daniel of Moscow pray for us
A small photogallery of Father Daniel
http://portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=74441&cf
Father Gregory
Posted on Mon Nov 23 2009
MOSCOW, November 23 (RIA Novosti) A Moscow priest who was shot down by a
masked gunman last week was laid to rest at a church cemetery in the
capital's west amid tight security. Relatives and more than 100 other people
came to the funeral ceremony holding flowers and candles to pay their last
respects to Father Daniil Sysoyev, who was shot down in his church on
Thursday evening.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Moscow priest who was shot down by a masked gunman last week was laid to
rest at a church cemetery in the capital's west amid tight security.
Relatives and more than 100 other people came to the funeral ceremony
holding flowers and candles to pay their last respects to Father Daniil
Sysoyev, who was shot down in his church on Thursday evening.
Some 30 police and other security officers were deployed to ensure safety as
investigators are looking into religious hatred as the main theory behind
the crime.
Sysoyev, was known for his active missionary work in converting Muslims and
people seeking to quit religious sects into Christianity. He had received
numerous death threats.
The body was brought to the Kuntsevo cemetery following a service at the
Peter and Paul Church in the southwest of Moscow, with people lining up
outside the church to pay their last tribute.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, attended the
service and urged others to carry on Sysoyev's missionary efforts.
Speaking by the coffin during the services, Kirill said: "Being unable to
offer any wise arguments against a priest's words in their mind and heart,
and going against God's word, they cover him with libel and even raise their
hand at him."
The patriarch praised Sysoyev's speeches in debates, but said his death
could be "the strongest word he had ever pronounced."
Shortly after Sysoyev's murder, Kirill warned against any hasty accusations
until the killer has been identified.
Some Russian lawmakers have asked for more information on the religious
groups, from which Sosoyev helped members leave, to consider measures to
restrict foreign religious organizations' activities in Russia, as well as
questioned the Constitutional Court's decision to prolong a moratorium on
the death penalty.
The murder also stirred a wave of condemnation from all religious groups in
Russia, and demands to ensure better security for the clergy.
President Dmitry Medvedev described the killing of the priest on Monday as
"an extremely severe crime."
The priest, who died at 34, is survived by his wife and three children.
--
Fr Gregory
"athair ambrois" <em...@globe.net.nz> wrote in message
news:d7ba35ec-22c4-44b7...@e4g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
Steve Hayes
<father....@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Murdered Moscow priest laid to rest amid tight security
>Posted on Mon Nov 23 2009
>MOSCOW, November 23 (RIA Novosti) A Moscow priest who was shot down by a
>masked gunman last week was laid to rest at a church cemetery in the
>capital's west amid tight security. Relatives and more than 100 other people
>came to the funeral ceremony holding flowers and candles to pay their last
>respects to Father Daniil Sysoyev, who was shot down in his church on
>Thursday evening.
Conquering kings their titles take and the missional ecclesiology of Fr Daniel
Sysoyev http://su.pr/ABezsk