On the feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Equal-to-the-Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, a Divine Liturgy and a book exhibition were held at the Archiepiscopal residence of the St. Vladimir Church in Bekasi. This event was organized to celebrate the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, as reported by the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia.

During the service, prayers were offered for the longevity of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The congregation also congratulated Hieromonk Methodius (Sugiarto), a cleric of the church, on his name day.

The book exhibition featured Orthodox books in Church Slavonic for parishioners and guests from the Pasundan Christian Church. Attendees had the opportunity to explore literature in the Slavic language, which was created by Saints Cyril and Methodius to enlighten the Slavic peoples with the Light of Christ’s Truth.

The Pasundan Christian Church, a Protestant denomination in Indonesia, was founded in 1934. It comprises 58 parishes and 33,000 members and is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

The Vladimir Church, dedicated to St. Vladimir the Great, the Baptizer of Rus, was consecrated last year. This church was built with donations from Orthodox believers in Indonesia. The land for the church was donated by an Indonesian citizen in memory of her deceased husband Vladimir, a native of Russia.

For the past few decades, Indonesia has been one of the centers of Russian Orthodox presence in Asia. The country hosts 25 parishes, served by 40 clergy members, including readers, most of whom are Indonesian citizens.

Photo: Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia / exarchate.asia