Saint Anthony the Great Orthodox Monastery

His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion
President of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Metropolitan Hilarion’s parents – his father Alexei Kapral, and his mother, Euphrosynia (nee Kasyaniuk) – were from the village of Obenizha in 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. On December 10, 1984, His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985) and nine other bishops officiated at the consecration of Hieromonk Hilarion to the episcopacy. As Bishop of Manhattan, Vladyka Hilarion was also responsible for the parishes of Pennsylvania, and was also appointed the Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops by the Council of Bishops. In 2008, following the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Archbishop Hilarion was elected First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, a post he has filled while continuing to be Ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. Saint Anthony the Great Orthodox Monastery is a STAVROPEGIAL monastery directly under the President of the Holy Synod of Bishops (ROCOR). At present that is His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral). The connection is spiritual and canonical but the monastery is not corporately (secular civil law) attached to any other corporation or entity.