On March 16, 2018, the Holy Trinity Monastery piously noted the memory of the 10th anniversary of the holy repose of Metropolitan Laurus, our former abbot for 32 years.  

Vladyka Laurus was abbot of our monastery after the ever-memorable Archbishop Averky from 1976 to his death in 2008.  During his tenure, the monastery continued to fulfill its many-sided obediences as a place of traditional Russian Orthodox monasticism, a place of pilgrimage and spiritual nourishing of the faithful, a place of missionary work with its printing presses and publishing and also the only seminary of the Church Abroad.  For Vladyka, who entered the brotherhood as a child in Slovakia, the monastery and seminary were the center of his life.

Vladyka was also a bishop of the Church Abroad for over 40 years, and the last seven years the primate of the Church.  The pinnacle of his episcopate was the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church. This extreme podvig perhaps even shortened his life due to the great difficulties and frequent travels associated with this process.  On the Solemnity of Orthodoxy in 2008, after spending the usual Clean Week in prayer with the brotherhood, Vladyka peacefully passed to the heavenly habitations.

The monastery every year since has kept the anniversary of Vladyka’s repose with prayer and sorrowful remembrance, but giving God thanks for having such a loving father in Christ.  This year, being the 10th anniversary, was  especially memorable.  His grace, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American diocese, formerly the cell attendant of Metropolitan Laurus, came to the monastery to serve the Presanctified Liturgy on this date in union with the brotherhood clergy and many other priests and deacons, some of whom came from afar to keep the memory of their bishop and rector.  A special meal was prepared , after which a pannikhida was served by Vladyka Nicholas and the clergy.

The Holy Trinity Monastery has been blessed to have had very memorable abbots:  Archbishop Vitaly, Archbishop Seraphim, Archbishop Averky and then Metropolitan Laurus.  Each one left their stamp on the monastery and seminary. Those of us who knew Vladyka Laurus will never forget his love of the monastery, of its church services, and of the Church and Holy Orthodoxy.  May his memory be eternal!