On the afternoon of May 16, 2022, in the 75th year of his life, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, died after a long illness in a New York hospital, reports the official ROCOR website.
Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, served the Office at the Parting of the Soul from the Body at the bedside of the departed First Hierarch. His Grace was assisted by Archpriest Serafim Gan and Hierodeacon Panteleimon (Zhigalin).
On the evening of May 16, a panikhida was served at the Cathedral of the Sign in New York by Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada. Concelebrating with the hierarch were Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and clergy of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The time and place of the funeral and burial of the departed will be announced later.
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
Metropolitan Hilarion (secular name Igor Alekseyevich Kapral) was born on January 6, 1948, in Spirit River, Canada. He spent his childhood in the countryside and had to walk three miles from home to school. Later he moved to another school in Blueberry Creek, and then returned to finish high school, where he received his diploma in 1966.
From an early age he attended the Russian Holy Trinity Church near Spirit River. There was much discord among the parishioners, as one group of Ukrainians wanted the church to belong to the Ukrainian autocephaly. Later the parish was joined to the diocese of Archbishop Panteleimon (Rudyk), who served first in the Russian Church Outside of Russia and then transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The young Igor found a spiritual father in the Russian Church Outside of Russia in the person of His Grace Sava (Sarachevich), Bishop of Edmonton, a Serb and a great admirer of St. John (Maximovitch; +1966).
From his youth he was drawn to the Church and loved to read magazines and books of spiritual and moral content. In 1967 he entered Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, USA.
After graduating from the seminary in 1972, he entered Holy Trinity Monastery as a novice. On December 2, 1974, he was tonsured a rassophore monk with the name Hilarion in honor of St. Hilarion, schemamonk of the Kiev Caves and Metropolitan of Kiev.
On December 4, 1975, Archbishop Averky (Taushev; +1976), whom he served as cell attendant, ordained him a hierodeacon.
In 1976 Bishop Laurus of Manhattan ordained him a hieromonk. That same year he graduated from Syracuse University, where he received a master’s degree in Slavic studies and Russian literature. He was editor of the English edition of the journal “Orthodox Life,” while also working as a typesetter in the monastery print shop.
On December 10, 1984, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky; +1985) headed the consecration of Hieromonk Hilarion as Bishop of Manhattan, with the participation of nine bishops. As Bishop of Manhattan he was responsible for the parishes in Pennsylvania, USA; the ROCOR Council of Bishops confirmed him as deputy secretary of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops.
Ten years later, thanks to the archpastoral labors of Bishop Hilarion, the number of parishes in the Eastern American Diocese had grown to 64. Visiting parish after parish, the bishop won the love and respect of those with whom he came in contact. Holding a responsible position at the center of the church administration of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, he was an active participant in the most important events of its history.
In 1995 Bishop Hilarion was given the title “Bishop of Washington” with residence in New York, but in view of the discord in the Australian Diocesethat arose after the retirement due to illness of Archbishop Paul (Pavlov), on June 20, 1996, he was appointed to the See of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand and elevated to the rank of archbishop.
In 2003 he was awarded the right to wear a diamond cross on his klobuk.
After the repose of the First Hierarch of the Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus, in March 2008, he served as acting chairman of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops.
On May 12, 2008, the ROCOR Council of Bishops elected Archbishop Hilarion the sixth First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia and elevated him to the rank of metropolitan.
On May 13, 2008, at the ROCOR Council of Bishops he was elected chairman of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops.
On May 14, 2008, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to confirm the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Outside of Russia to elect Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand as First Hierarch of ROCOR (Minutes No. 39).
On May 18, 2008, the 4th Sunday of Pascha, at the Synodal Church of the Sign in New York the enthronement took place of the newly elected First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York.
By decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Outside of Russia of December 8–9, 2016, the parishes of the Diocese of Great Britain were transferred to his jurisdiction (as chairman of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops).
On June 9, 2017, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ awarded him the right to wear two panagias.
By decision of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops of October 2, 2017, he was entrusted with the temporary administration of the Western European Diocese.
By decision of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops of September 20, 2018, he was relieved of the administration of the parishes of the Dioceses of Great Britain and Western Europe.