The 17th Anniversary of the Repose of Met. Laurus (Shkurla), First Hierarch of the ROCOR
Parishes of the Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR) lifted up their prayers in remembrance of the much-loved Vladyka Laurus on the anniversary of his repose.
March 16th marked the 17th anniversary of the repose of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla).
On February 25, 2025, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York had sent a reminder to the rectors of his parishes, asking for the reposed hierarch of God to be commemorated on the anniversary of his repose, and the Soul Saturday preceding it. Today, this directive was lovingly carried out by the clergy and faithful. Many in the diocese, and the wider Church Abroad, shared fond memories of Vladyka Laurus, reminding the younger generation and more recent converts of the tremendous debt we all owe to our reposed First Hierarch.
This should come as no surprise, as the First-Hierarchs of ROCOR have all been true zealots of piety, beloved of their flock. Vladyka Laurus, in particular, played a central role in bringing about the Reunification of the Russian Church after more than eighty-five years of separation. And as many old-timers will tell you, Vladyka Laurus led by his humility, setting an example of piety and devotion to God for all.
A Brief Life of Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla)
The future First Hierarch of ROCOR was born on January 1, 1928, in the pious Rusyn-inhabited village of Ladomirová, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). He was given the name Vasily by his devoted parents, Michal Ivanovič and Elena Michalovna Škurla, whose steadfast Orthodox Christian faith illuminated their home. Once part of Sáros County in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ladormirová bore the heavy yoke of Roman Catholic domination, yet the Škurla family remained unwavering in their Orthodox heritage.
From his earliest days, the grace of God was upon young Vasily, and he was baptized into the Holy Church by the revered Archimandrite Vitaly (Maximenko).
Even as a small child, Vasily’s heart burned with love for Christ and His Holy Church. At the tender age of five, he began serving at the altar of the Monastery of St. Job of Pochaev in Ladomirová, a spiritual beacon for the local Orthodox faithful.
His soul, already drawn to the monastic life, yearned for deeper devotion. When he was only eight, he approached the monastery’s abbot, the venerable Archimandrite Seraphim (Ivanov), with the earnest request to be received as a novice. Such was the fervor of his calling that by the age of eleven, in 1939, with his father’s blessing, young Vasily joyfully entered the monastic brotherhood, setting his feet upon the path of holiness that would define his life.
As the storms of war swept across Eastern Europe in 1944, the brotherhood of the Monastery of St. Job of Pochaev was forced to leave their beloved home, seeking refuge from the advancing Red Army. Their journey led them through Bratislava, Germany, and finally to Switzerland. It was in Geneva, at the age of sixteen, that the young Vasily embraced the monastic path more fully, entering the ranks of the novices.
With the war’s end in 1946, divine providence guided the brotherhood to the United States, where they found a new spiritual home at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, a sacred haven established by ROCOR, in 1928. There, Vasily deepened his spiritual and intellectual formation, joining the first class of Holy Trinity Seminary and completing his studies in 1947—all while remaining a humble novice.
In March of 1948, with a heart wholly dedicated to Christ, he was tonsured a riassophore monk, receiving the monastic name Laurus.
His ascent in the service of the Church continued steadily: in 1949, he was tonsured to the small schema and ordained a deacon; in 1954, he was ordained to the holy priesthood. Recognizing his unwavering devotion and humility, the Church elevated Fr. Laurus to igumen in 1959 and, in 1966, to the rank of archimandrite.
Each step marked a deepening of his commitment to God, shaping him into the wise and gentle shepherd he was destined to become.
In 1967, through the will of God and the love of the Church, Fr. Laurus was called to the high and sacred ministry of the episcopacy. With deep humility and a trembling heart before the immense responsibility laid upon him, he accepted this calling, knowing that the shepherd’s yoke is one of both love and sacrifice. That same year, he was consecrated Bishop of Manhattan at the Synodal Cathedral of the Theotokos of the Sign in New York City.
The hand of God continued to guide him over the decades of his service, and in October 2001, following the retirement of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), Archbishop Laurus was chosen by the Synod of Bishops to be the Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York and the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
With deep humility, he accepted this responsibility, becoming a loving father to his flock and a tireless intercessor for the faithful, guiding ROCOR with wisdom and grace in the spirit of his holy predecessors.
The world was changing. The Iron Curtain had fallen, and the people of Russia, Ukraine, and beyond—long deprived of the living waters of Holy Orthodoxy—were returning to the font in numbers not seen since the time of Saint Vladimir.
The Church Abroad, while rejoicing in the collapse of the Soviet regime, remained cautious. Throughout the 1990s, its bishops and faithful closely examined the reality of Church life in Russia. Some were deeply opposed to reunification. But as time went on, it became clear to all that the long-awaited moment for the reunion of the Churches had arrived. None knew this more than Vladyka Laurus.
"[Vladyka] liked to travel incognito, especially when he became a bishop. His interest was not to be recognized and honored, but just to travel and study the faith of the people, to see the situation as it really was: especially in Russia. During the 90s, while still an Archbishop, Vladyka traveled to Russia secretly several times. Dressed as a simple hieromonk, he would quietly visit various monasteries and churches." - Protodeacon Victor Lochmatow
In 2006, the Fourth All-Diaspora Council of ROCOR approved the reconciliation and normalization of relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. On May 17, 2007, Metropolitan Laurus and a delegation arrived in Moscow to sign the Act of Canonical Communion. They then concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Alexei II in the newly rebuilt Christ the Savior Cathedral—a powerful symbol of the trials and triumphs the Russian Church had endured over the past century.
The reconciliation between ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate was met with jubilation by Russian Orthodox Christians worldwide. Unity did not come at the expense of ROCOR’s ability to govern its own affairs, as some opponents had feared. Rather, fraternal bonds were restored—not only with Moscow but also with our brothers in Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Poland, and beyond.
This monumental task, for which the faithful had prayed at every Liturgy for decades, was now complete, and Vladyka could rest from his labors. Less than a year later, on March 16, 2008, the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the ever-memorable shepherd reposed peacefully at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.
Seventeen years later the memory of Vladyka Laurus, the Rusyn who reunited the Russian Church, burns brightly in our parishes. The mere mention of the name "Mitropolit Lavra" causes the faces of clergy and pious babushki alike to light up. Thanks to the love and efforts of Vladyka Laurus and Pat. Alexei II, we can say with David: "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 132)
May the Lord grant rest to His servant, the Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla), and may his Memory be Eternal!
