DIOCESE OF GERMANY: May 30, 2016
Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff is Granted a Lofty Clerical Award

On Sunday, May 22, 2016, the feast day of St Nicholas Chapel in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Munich, His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in accordance with a decision of the Synod of Bishops, awarded the Senior Priest of the cathedral, Protopriest Nikolai Artemoff, who is also the Diocesan Secretary, the right to wear the mitre.

Fr Nikolai has served as a priest for 35 years. Born in Hessen, he spent his childhood in the largest city of the region, Frankfurt-am-Mein. In Wiesbaden, he became close to Archimandrite Mark (Arndt), the parish priest, now Ruling Bishop of the diocese. Upon the latter’s election as bishop, Fr Nikolai moved with him to Munich. From the beginning of his pastoral service, fr Nikolai was given positions of responsibility in the German Diocese. He was obliged to travel a great deal, since he ministered to several parishes in the province. These were mostly communities that were in peril of dying out, but Fr Nikolai breathed new life into them.With the influx of new parishes, they are now blossoming.

The priestly service is first and foremost the preaching of the Gospel and care for the flock, the salvation of the souls of the sheep, and towards this end, Fr Nikolai invests a great deal of love and effort: these infuse his sermons from the church ambo, these inspire his trips to prisons and hospitals, one-on-one meetings, response to every need of the members of his flock, may hours of hearing confessions of worshipers. Fr Nikolai has many spiritual children throughout the world, who maintain correspondence with him. Thanks to his advice, many have found the path to God and bring their entire families with them. Fr Nikolai has spent the final hours together with the dying, hearing their confessions, administering Holy Communion and performing the rite of Final Unction. As a priest, Fr Nikolai serves as a personal example of Christian life in faith, which is more persuasive than mere words.

Fr Nikolai actively participates in virtually all aspects of the life of the German Diocese and assumes the most important assignments. For many years, Fr Nikolai has worked in the translation commission for liturgical texts.

In the early 1980’s, Fr Nikolai was elected Secretary of the Diocesan Administration, a position he holds to this day. Since 1981, he has organized and leads annual Orthodox seminars in Munich. He is often invited to speak at conferences and German governmental and church institutions, both Orthodox and heterodox.

In the 1990’s, Fr Nikolai was assigned by the Synod of Bishops to conduct correspondence courses in theology for students in Russia who wished guidance from the Church Abroad. This was a demanding task. Recently, Fr Nikolai has often traveled to Russia, where he gives lectures on various topics, including the life of the Church Abroad.

Fr Nikolai participates in discussions with His Eminence Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and the Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate in Germany. Since the 1990’s, this has served as part of the foundations for the process of the reestablishment of canonical unity. After 2000, Fr Nikolai was appointed a member of the Commission on the Reestablishment of Unity Within the Russian Orthodox Church, in which he participated actively until the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in May, 2007.

The priests of the German Diocese petitioned for this award in recognition for his contributions to their diocese and the Church in general.

The Editors of the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia express their heartfelt congratulations to Fr Nikolai and all of his admirers for this important honor, and wish him continued Heavenly aid in his difficult service in benefit of the Church of Christ!