NEW YORK: December 9, 2020
Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York congratulates His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine on the thirtieth anniversary of his episcopal consecration and on the granting of autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

To His Beatitude
ONOUPHRY,
Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine

Your Beatitude, Vladyko!

In these important days of the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of your personal Pentecost and the granting of the most broad autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in her salvific service, I send my heartfelt greetings to you, your brother archpastors, pastors, monastics and to the many millions of members of the God-loving flock of our fraternal Church of Kievan Rus’ on this great joy!

Preparing for the feast day of the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” in New York, the Home of the greatest holy icon of the Russian Church Abroad, the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign,” we pray to the Most-Blessed Virgin to bestow upon Your Beatitude abundant grace, and to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which you head, love, peace and the many mercies of God! I wholeheartedly wish you many years of life, good health, boldness of spirit and blessed successes in your archpastoral labors! We pray before the Kursk Icon of the Mother of God for the blossoming of Holy Orthodoxy in the sacred land of Ukraine under your pious leadership!

Asking your holy prayers, I offer my fraternal embrace and declare Axios!

+ HILARION,
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.