Archpriest Daniel Lugovoi, rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh since 2009

Archpriest Daniel Lugovoi was born on 1 December 1976 in Moscow.

In 1994 he graduated from the Moscow Lyceum of Spiritual Culture and entered the second class of the Moscow Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1997. Studied at the Moscow Theological Academy from 1997 to 2001.

During his studies, he served in the academic choir under Hegumen Nikifor (Kirzin) from 1994 to 1995. From September 1995 to March 2001 he served as a subdeacon of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

In 2002 he was awarded the title of Candidate of Theology for his dissertation on "The History of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery".

On 17 March 2001 he was ordained to the rank of deacon by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II in the Holy Danilov Monastery, and was appointed by Patriarchal decree a staff deacon in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Konkovo, Moscow.

In May 2002, by the decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, he was transferred to the Church of St. Empress Catherine on Vspolye in Moscow.

From 2001 to 2005 he taught the history of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Russian Orthodox University of St John the Theologian.

He taught basic and comparative theology at the Orthodox gymnasium in Khovrino from 2003 to 2009.

On 9 May 2004 he was ordained to the rank of priest by Archbishop Alexy of Orekhovo-Zuevo.

At Easter 2005 he was honoured with the right to wear a hip belt.

On 7 December 2006 he was awarded the right to wear a kamilavka.

On 2 May 2009, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was awarded the right to wear the pectoral cross.

On 10 October 2009, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (Journal No. 100), he was appointed rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg, South Africa.

On 21 May 2015, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.

On 15 April 2020, he was awarded the right to wear a wand.

On 14 October 2021 he was awarded the Patriarchal Diploma.

On 9 May 2024, by the order of Metropolitan Constantine of Zaraisk, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, he was appointed dean of parishes of the Diocese of South Africa in South Africa.

Father Daniel is married to Mother Helen and they are raising three sons.

His angel's day is 17 March.