Primate of the Orthodox Church in America prays in Valaam where he took monastic vows

Metropolitan Jonah of All America and Canada in frames of his official visit to the Russian Church came to Valaam , where he once was a novice and decided to become a monk. Bishop Pankraty of Troitsk, Abbot of the Transfiguration Monastery, welcomed Metropolitan Jonah and priest travelling with him. With the bells ringing, the delegation proceeded to the lower church of the cathedral where they prayed to the founders of the monastery and venerated their holy relics, the Moscow Patriarchate official web site has reported.

Bishop Pankraty thanked the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America for helping the monastery in difficult times after financial crisis of 1998.

The Metropolitan, speaking to the Abbot and brethren, reminded that this monastery had changed his life.

In early 1990-s Metropolitan Jonah (James Paffhausen) worked at the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, and had an exposure to monastic life during his stay in Valaam Monastery. The spiritual father of the monastery's abbot, the Elder Kirill at Trinity St. Sergius Laura, blessed James to become a monk.

Source: Interfax religion