NEW YORK: June 1, 2020
Condolences on the death of Archbishop Agapit of Stuttgart sent by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine

To His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Your Eminence, Dear Vladyka!

On the feast day of the Ascension of the Lord, I received the sorrowful news of the repose, after a long period of illness, of Archbishop Agapit (Gorachek) of Stuttgart, Vicar of the Berlin Diocese. I express my heartfelt condolences.

“Every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40), says the Lord. And we believe and pray that the newly-reposed archpastor “is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24), and by the true promise of the Savior, where He Himself abides, there also will be His faithful servant (John 5:24).

This year marked the 40th year that Vladyka entered St Job of Pochaev Monastery in Munich, during which time he celebrated Divine Liturgy and zealously bore various monastic obediences, which earned him authority and the respect among the brethren of the holy monastery. Vladyka served on the kliros with special trepidation and love.

In the hearts of the episcopate, clergy and laity, and all those who ever had any contact with the late archpastor, he will always remain in their memory as a devoted servant at the Altar of the Lord, earnest, attentive and caring, “a steward of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1), and also a devoted assistant of His Eminence Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany.

I share with you the pain of the loss sustained, in my thoughts bidding final farewell to the reposed, and I pray to the Master of life and death, our Lord Jesus Christ, “where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow nor sighing, but life everlasting.”

Eternal memory to the newly-reposed Archbishop Agapit!

With fraternal love in Christ,

+Onouphry
Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine,
Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.