Dear Father Andrew,

On the joyful occasion of your 70th birthday, I wish to offer you my heartfelt congratulations and assure you of my prayers, together with those of all the clergy, monastics and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

As we give thanks to God for the gift of your life, we also give thanks for the many decades that you have faithfully dedicated to the service of Christ and His Holy Church. For nearly fifty years, your priestly ministry has been marked by unwavering devotion, missionary zeal and a profound love for Holy Orthodoxy. Through your pastoral care, your theological writings, your lectures and your tireless witness, you have helped countless people discover the beauty of the Orthodox faith and have strengthened many Orthodox communities throughout Western Europe.

One of your most enduring contributions has been your deep commitment to recovering and making known the rich Orthodox heritage of the British Isles. Through your books, articles and years of research, you have lovingly brought the lives of the ancient Saints of these lands back into the consciousness of many Orthodox Christians. In doing so, you have reminded us that the Orthodox faith is not something foreign to Britain, but is deeply rooted in the spiritual history of this land.

I also wish to express my sincere gratitude for your friendship, your kindness and your constant support for the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese. Since joining our Archdiocese, you have continued to enrich our common witness through your wisdom, your pastoral experience and your generous collaboration. Your life has been a bridge between peoples, traditions and generations, always pointing others towards Christ and His saving Gospel.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom you have served with such faithfulness and devotion for so many years, continue to bless you with strength, peace and the joy of His Kingdom. May the Mother of God ever keep you under her protecting veil, and may all the Saints of Britain and Ireland, whose memory you have so faithfully revived and cherished, intercede for you and guide you in every step of your priestly ministry.

Many blessed and fruitful years, dear Father Andrew!

With heartfelt gratitude, profound respect and every paternal blessing,

† Atanasie

Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland