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On 24 October 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), currently on a working visit to the USA with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, visited the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America in Syosset, NY, and met with His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America And Canada, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Metropolitan Hilarion venerated the shrines at St. Sergius of Radonezh chapel and was welcomed by Metropolitan Tikhon and the OCA administration staff. The DECR chairman greeted His Beatitude and his fellow workers on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and presented a panagia to His Beatitude.

Taking part in the meeting of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon with Metropolitan Hilarion were OCA chancellor Archpriest Alexander Rentel, OCA director for external affairs and interchurch relations Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, secretary to the Metropolitan Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak, Hegumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov) and Rev. Mark Rashkov of the Moscow Patriarchate representation in New York, and subdeacon Vyacheslav Li who accompanied Metropolitan Hilarion in his trip.

Topical issues pertaining to the present situation in the inter-Orthodox relations as well as the development of cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America were discussed during the talk held in a warm friendly atmosphere of mutual understanding. The sides confirmed their interest in holding events and services to mark the 225th anniversary of the Orthodox mission to North America commenced by the monks from the Valaam monastery in North America and also the 50th anniversary of the autocephaly of the OCA granted by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970 as well as the canonization of St. Herman of Alaska.

Intention was expressed to continue interchurch contacts at the high level during celebration of the 25th anniversary of the OCA Moscow Representation opened at St. Catherine the Great Martyr Church in- the-Fields in 1994. The celebration will take place on December 7, 2019.