Within the framework of the first official visit to Ukraine, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia; ROCOR), metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) of Eastern America and New York met the vicegerent of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Caves Lavra, archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod. During the conversation in the house of the vicegerent, the hierarchs discussed general church issues of the spiritual guidance of the Orthodox Ukrainians living in America. His Eminence Hilarion shared his impressions upon visiting the ancient monastery, from which the monastic life spread throughout Holy Rus.

For Metropolitan Hilarion, whose parents were from the village of Obenyzhi in the Volyn region, the Kiev-Caves Lavra is important due to the fact that he was ordinated in honor of venerable Hilarion, the schemamonk of the Caves, who rests with the imperishable relics in the Far Caves of the monastery.

Archbishop Pavel presented the panagia with the image of the Resurrection of Christ as a gift to metropolitan Hilarion for the prayer memory of the meeting within the walls of the Caves’ monastery in the enduring days of Holy Easter (Pascha).

According to His Eminence Hilarion, during his stay in Ukraine, special spiritual joy for him is “… the opportunity to pray with the hierarchs and the God-loving parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the divine services in the ancient churches of the Kiev-Caves Lavra.”