More on Fr Daniel Sysoyev
The sisterhood at one of the largest and best-known convents in Greece believes that we should ask for the prayers of the late Fr Daniel Sysoyev as a saint. ‘It is time not to pray for Fr Daniel, but to pray to him’, said Mother Prosdokia from the Convent of the Annunciation in Ormylia on the Halkidiki peninsula.
She also expressed surprise that the veneration of Fr Daniel is not yet widespread in Russia. According to Mother Prosdokia, many Orthodox in Greece honour Fr Daniel like one of the many martyred by the Turks for their confession of the Orthodox Faith in Greece. In her view, the grave of Fr Daniel could become a favoured destination for Greek pilgrims visiting Russia. In recent years, the grave of St Seraphim of Sarov in Diveyevo has been the most popular among Greek pilgrims.
Fr Daniel Sysoyev was well-known for his missionary work among Muslims, he held public debates with Islamic spokesmen and preached among Muslim workers on Moscow building sites and in market-places. On 19 November 2009 Fr Daniel was shot in his parish church of St Thomas in Moscow. Soon afterwards, on 1 December, a man from Kyrgyzstan who was suspected of the murder was killed resisting arrest.
