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{{orthodoxyinaustralasiaorthodoxyinamerica}}Metropolitan '''Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney, Australia Eastern America and New ZealandYork''' is First Hierarch of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[May 18]], 2008. He also remains the ruling bishop of the [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]] . == Parents ==Metropolitan Hilarion’s parents – his father Alexei Kapral, and his mother, Euphrosynia (nee Kasyaniuk) – were from the village of Obenizha in the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russiaw:Principality_of_Halych|Volyhn]] (ROCOR). In 1929, during the Polish occupation, the local populace was persecuted and oppressed by Poles attempting to turn Western Ukraine into a Polish province. He is also Thus, the First Hierarch19-year-elect old Alexei and his young wife decided to emigrate to Canada. At the time, the Canadian government afforded immigrants the opportunity to obtain large tracts of land in Western Canada; it was there that the ROCOR young family settled. Upon their arrival in the province of Alberta, the Kapral family received 160 acres of untilled land, as well as $100 in cash, a hammer, and an axe, with which to build themselves a home. In the developing Spirit River region, there were some 200 Ukrainians, and is scheduled in view of the oncoming cold, they quickly built themselves houses. The great economic crisis of 1929-1930 affected the settlers as well, making an already hard life even more difficult. To find work, Alexei Kapral had to be enthroned travel far from home, and he earned but 25 cents per day. Nonetheless, the family grew ever larger – five boys and two girls filled the house with children’s voices, speaking Ukrainian at home, but the children had English as their first language. Their parents also spoke Russian and Polish. == Early Life ==The youngest member of the family was Igor, the future Metropolitan Hilarion. He was born on [[May 18January 6]], 2008 with 1948, in Spirit River, and spent his childhood in the country. He had to walk 2.5 miles to school every day, and describes his childhood as "pleasant...absolutely free of any harmful influences"<ref>http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enart_mhinterviewpriesthood.html</ref>. Later he transferred to another school in Blueberry Creek, but returned to finish high school. From his youth, Igor felt drawn to the title ''Metropolitan Church, and loved to read books and periodicals on religion and morals. From a young age, around 6 or 7, he knew that he wanted to become a priest. He went to Holy Trinity Church in Spirit River, part of ROCOR and composed of ethnic Ukrainians. Services were held monthly or bi-monthly, and often Archbishop [[Panteleimon (Rudyk) of Eastern America Edmonton|Panteleimon]] would celebrate these services. Abp Panteleimon was revered by Igor, and New Yorkhe was told by Abp Panteleimon that "someday you will be a priest"<ref>http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/engdocuments/enart_mhinterviewpriesthood.html</ref>. In 1966, he found a spiritual director, Right Reverend [[Sava (Saračević) of Edmonton|Sava (Saračević)]], Bishop of Edmonton, First a serbian who greatly revered our Holy Hierarch St. [[John (PrimateMaximovitch) of Shanghai|John (Maximovitch)]]. ==Seminary and the Priesthood==In 1967, when Igor Kapral was 19 years old, he entered the [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Theological Seminary]] in Jordanville, NY, USA. While here, he was able to learn Russian , as well as sing on the kliros and serve in the altar, learning the order of divine services. From his second year at seminary, Igor was tasked with typesetting "Orthodox Church Outside Life" in English, under the editorship of Archimandrite [[Constantine (Zaitsev)]]; Igor soon succeeded him as editor. After some time, Hieromonk Ignaty (who was in charge of Russia''the printery) asked him to do the Russian typesetting as well.
==Episcopacy==
{{orthodoxyinaustralasia}}In 1984, at the young age of 36, Fr Hilarion was consecrated a [[bishop]] by [[Metropolitan ]] [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret of New York]] and nine other bishops and was appointed to the [[see ]] of Manhattan, charged with overseeing the [[parish]]es in Pennsylvania and the Eastern American diocese and serving as deputy secretary for the Synod of Bishops. In 1995, Bishop Hilarion was transferred to the See of Washington while retaining his residence in New York.
Upon Metropolitan Metr. Laurus's death Archbishop Abp. Hilarion was appointed as the temporary head of the ROCOR Synod. On To his dismay, on [[May 12]], 2008, Archbishop Hilarion was elected and elevated as the new Metropolitan of ROCOR, having recieved a vast majority received all but one vote (his own). As First Hierarch, he convenes meetings of the synod (3-4 times each year), meetings of the Council of Bishops, and represents the ROCOR at the Moscow Patriarchate when bishops convene there. In addition, he remains ruling bishop of votesthe diocese of Australia and New Zealand, in addition to also being ruling bishop of the Eastern American diocese.
On the [[December 10]], 2009 Metropolitan Hilarion marked 25 years since the date of [[consecration of a bishop|consecration as a bishop]]. The festivities took place in the [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. Vladyka Hilarion, notably, is presiding over a period where unity with the Church of Russia is smooth and without inequality, and divisiveness has died down in ROCOR.
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{{succession|
before=''unknown''[[Gregory (Grabbe) of Washington and Florida|Gregory (Grabbe)]]|
title=Bishop of Manhattan (ROCOR)|
years=1984-1995|
after=[[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]]}}
{{succession|
before=''unknown''Gregory (Grabbe)|
title=Bishop of Washington (ROCOR)|
years=1995-1996|
after=''unknown''—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Paul (Pavlov) of Sydney|Paul (Pavlov)]]|
after=—}}
{{succession|
before=[[Laurus (SkurlaŠkurla) of New York|Laurus (SkurlaŠkurla)]]|title=Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York<br>First Hierarch elect of ROCOR|years= 2008-present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2008/5enizbrany.html Archbishop Hilarion Is Elected First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia] (ROCOR site)
*[http://www.rocor.org.au/official/hilarionbio_en.html Official biography] from the [[ROCOR]] Australia and New Zealand website
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2008/5enmhnastolavaniye.html Photo Report of Enthronement, May 18, 2008]
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Bishops of Sydney]]
[[Category:Bishops of New York]]
[[Category:First Hierarchs of the ROCOR]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in Australia]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in New Zealand]]