LADOMIROVO, SLOVAKIA: September 12, 2012
A Plaque is Consecrated in the Homeland of Metropolitan Laurus, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, on the Fifth Anniversary of the Signing of the Act of Canonical Communion

On the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion between the Russian Orthodox Church in the Fatherland and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, a commemorative plaque was consecrated in honor of Metropolitan Laurus, late First Hierarch of ROCOR, in his homeland.

On September 9, 2012, in the town of Ladomirovo, Slovakia, the birthplace of Metropolitan Laurus (Shkurla) of Eastern America and New York, who headed the Russian Church Abroad from 2001-2008, a plaque was consecrated in his honor on the wall of the Church of St John the Forerunner, where the late hierarch was baptized.

The event was scheduled to fall on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion, which reestablished unity between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Metropolitan Laurus was the signer on behalf of ROCOR.

Mikhail Shkurla, the brother of Metropolitan Laurus, originated the idea of a commemorative plaque. This initiative received the support of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York and the Working Group on Strengthening Church Unity under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. The project also received the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church funded the plaque, which bears an image of Metropolitan Laurus and an inscription in Russian and Slovakian: “In this church, built in 1924 by the brotherhood of St Job of Pochaev Monastery in Ladomirovo, the Mystery of Baptism was performed over Vasily Shkurla, who was born in this area, later to become Metropolitan Laurus of Eastern America and New York (01.01.1928 – 16.03.2008), First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who made the greatest of contributions towards the reunification of the Church Abroad with the Church in the Fatherland, having signed the Act of Canonical Communion of the Russian Orthodox Church on May 17, 2007.”

The consecration of the plaque was performed by Acting Administrator of the Presovska Diocese, His Grace Bishop Tikhon of Komarno, in the presence of a multitude of parishioners of St John the Forerunner Church. After a procession of the cross, Vladyka Tikhon read a prayer for the consecration of the plaque and sprinkled it with holy water.

Protopriest Nikolai Lishcheniuk, Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, participated; he read a greeting from Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk.Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Kosice, Mr Ladislav Stefko, was also in attendance.