WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMS WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMS WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMS WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMS WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMS WITH LOVE FROM EBAUMSHis Eminence the Most Reverend '''Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York''' was the first hierarch of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] from 1986 to 2001. His Eminence retired as First Hierarch in 2001, and lived at Holy Transfiguration Skete in Mansonville, Québec. His Eminence reposed in the Lord at the age of 97 in Mansonville on [[September 25]], 2006.<ref>[http://www.synod.com/synod/2006/9metvitaly.html Скончался Высокопреосвященнейший митрополит Виталий] 25 September 2006</ref> == Biography ==Metropolitan Vitaly, born Rostislav Petrovich Oustinow in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1910, was the son of an officer of the Black Sea Fleet, Peter Oustinow, and Lydia Andreevna, née Stopchansky, daughter of a gendarme general who served his whole life in the Caucasus. In 1920, during the Civil War, Rostislav was sent to the military school founded in Feodosia by General Wrangel. When he joined the White Army and evacuated, the young Rostislav found himself in Constantinople, and from there he went to Yugoslavia, where he studied in the Cadet Corps of the White Army. In 1923, the mother of the future First Hierarch sponsored her son to come to Constantinople and from there, she moved with him to Paris, where he was enrolled in St Louis College in Le Mans. Upon graduating, he joined his mother in Cannes. In 1934, he was called upon to fulfill his military obligations, which he did by joining the 9th Cavalry Regiment, but the young Oustinow had no wish to remain in the world—his only desire was to withdraw to a [[monastery]]. In 1938, he entered the Monastery of St Job in the Carpathians. In 1939, trudnik<ref>"Trudnik" means "volunteer laborer" <sup>[http://www.synod.com/01newstucture/pagesen/articles/frvladimir.html]</sup> or "lay laborer" <sup>[http://www.synod.com/01newstucture/pagesen/news04/vladikayubiley.html]</sup>. </ref> Rostislav was [[tonsure]]d to the rassophore with the name 'Vitaly,' and a year later was tonsured to the minor schema. In 1941, in the city of Bratislava, Fr. Vitaly was [[ordination|ordained]] by [[Metropolitan]] Seraphim of Berlin and Germany to the rank of [[hieromonk]] and assigned to minister to two towns on the Polish border. World War II forced the [[monasticism|monastic]] brotherhood to flee from the approaching Red Army. Fr. Vitaly found himself in Berlin, where, together with [[Archimandrite]] Nathaniel, he developed a broad mission among the Russian refugees and prisoners of war. The second onslaught of the Reds forced the two young [[clergy]]men to move to Hamburg, where another field of activity opened up for them: to save thousands of refugees from forced repatriation to the USSR. A good knowledge of various languages, especially of English, along with tireless energy, allowed Fr. Vitaly and Fr. Nathaniel to save the lives of many Russians. Settling in Hamburg, Hegumen Vitaly began to establish church life at the Displaced Persons camp Fischbeck. A barracks [[church]] was immediately set up there with a daily round of services, [[psalm]]-reading courses and even a year-long theological course for 12 youths. At the same time, Hegumen Vitaly gathered together a small monastic group, which began to publish church service books and even a newsletter, ''Pochaevskije listki''. From 1947 to 1951, Archimandrite Vitaly was the [[rector]] of the London [[parish]]; in 1951, on the [[feast day]] of Ss. [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]], he was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] [[bishop]] and sent to Brazil. Soon the young bishop opened his own print shop and established a small orphanage for boys, where they were taught them the [[daily cycle]] of services. In 1955, Vladyka Vitaly and his brethren moved to Canada. As Bishop of Montreal and Canada, Vladyka established a [[skete]] in Mansonville. In Montreal, Vladyka acquired and refurbished the large St. Nicholas Cathedral. Not far from the Cathedral is the Synodal [[podvorie]]. It can be stated with confidence that there is no place where Vladyka Vitaly settled where he did not organize a small monastic brotherhood and active publishing concern. The Council of Bishops in 1986 chose Vladyka Vitaly as the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Suffering from memory loss,<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/metropolitan-vitaly-ustinov-417796.html The Independent, Obituary: Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov], 28 September 2006</ref> Metropolitan Vitaly retired in 2001, and [[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Metropolitan Laurus]] became the first hierarch of ROCOR,<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/history/election.html Council of Bishops of 2001 and the Election of the New First Hierarch], Official History of the Council, ROCOR Official Web site, February 23, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/pages/poslania/addresstopeople.html Address of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia to Its Flock--October, 2001]</ref> but "within weeks he regretted the move, publicly attacking his successor.... Vitaly led his faithful followers into schism."<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/metropolitan-vitaly-ustinov-417796.html The Independent, Obituary: Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov], 28 September 2006</ref><ref>http://www.rocor-v.com/rocor/epistlemet24.html</ref>, and went on to head of the [[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]]. Felix Corley, of [[w:The Independent|The Independent]] observed: "Vitaly's final years were marred by murky goings-on at his monastery, with allegations that his entourage was holding him hostage and faking his signature on church decisions. Like many splinter religious communities, his church came to fight not so much to preserve the purity of its faith as to engage in bitter infighting."<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/metropolitan-vitaly-ustinov-417796.html The Independent, Obituary: Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov], 28 September 2006</ref> On September 25, 2006, Metropolitan Vitaly reposed in Mansonville, Canada.<ref>[http://www.pokrov.org.uk/News/Vladyka_Vitaly.html Repose of Metropolitan Vitaly], December 25, 2007</ref> ==Notes==<div class="small"><references /></div> {{start box}}{{succession|before=—|title=Bishop of Montevideo<br>(ROCOR)|years=1951-1954|after=—}}{{succession|before=—|title=Bishop of Edmonton and Western Canada<br>(ROCOR)|years=1954-1957|after=[[Sava (Sarachevich) of Edmonton|Sava (Sarachevich)]]}}{{succession|before=[[Panteleimon (Rudyk) of Montreal|Panteleimon (Rudyk)]]|title=Archbishop of Montreal and Canada<br>(ROCOR)|years=1957-1986|after=[[Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Manhattan|Gabriel (Chemodakov)]]}}{{succession|before=[[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York|Philaret (Voznesensky)]]|title=First Hierarch of ROCOR|years=1986-2001|after=[[Laurus (Skurla) of New York|Laurus (Skurla)]]}}{{end box}} ==Source==*[http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/metropolitan-vitaly-biography.html His Eminence, Metropolitan Vitaly] ==References==<div class="references-small"> <references /> </div> [[Category:Bishops]][[Category:First Hierarchs of the ROCOR]]
