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==Early LifeParents ==Metropolitan Hilarion’s parents – his father Alexei Kapral, and his mother, Euphrosynia (nee Kasyaniuk) – were from the village of Obenizha in [[w:Principality_of_Halych|Volyhn, Ukraine]]. In 1929, during the Polish occupation, the local populace was persecuted and oppressed by Poles attempting to turn Western Ukraine into a Polish province. Thus, the 19-year-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 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 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 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 [[January 6]], 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. In 1966, he found a spiritual director, Right Reverend Sava (Saracevic), Bishop of Edmonton, a Serb who greatly revered our Holy Hierarch St. John (Maximovitch, +1966).

From his youth, Igor felt drawn to the 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 Edmonton|Panteleimon]] would celebrate these services. Abp Panteleimon was revered by Igor, and he 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, a serbian who greatly revered our Holy Hierarch St. [[John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai|John (Maximovitch)]].

From his second year at seminary, Igor was tasked with typesetting "Orthodox Life " in English, under the editorship of Archimandrite [[Konstantin Constantine (Zaitsev)]]; Igor soon succeeded him as editor. After some time, Hieromonk Ignaty (who was in charge of the printery) asked him to do the Russian typesetting as well.

On graduating from the Seminary in 1972, Igor entered the [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]] as a [[novice]] (''poslushnik''). On [[December 2]], 1974 he was tonsured a [[Monastic Ranks|rassaphore]] [[monk]] with the name Hilarion, in honor of Venerable Schema-monk Hilarion of the Kiev Caves, the famous Metropolitan of Kiev. On [[December 4]], 1975, Archbishop [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev]], +1976), for whom the future Vladyka served as a cell-attendant, [[ordination|ordained]] him a hiero[[deaconhierodeacon]].

before=[[Laurus (SkurlaŠkurla) of New York|Laurus (SkurlaŠkurla)]]|title=Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York|years= 2008-present|after=&mdash;}}{{succession|before=[[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Skurla)]]|title=<br>First Hierarch of ROCOR|