SEA CLIFF: Passing Away of His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Boston—February 2002

SEA CLIFF: The Passing Away of Bishop Mitrofan of Boston--February 2002

The Passing Away of His Grace Bishop Mitrofan

On the day of the Meeting of Our Lord in Sea Cliff, NY, the eldest by age of the hierarchs of the Russian Othodox Church Outside of Russia, Bishop Mitrofan of Boston. His Grace Bishop Mitrofan was born in Brest-Litovsk in 1909 in a priest's family. The future bishop received his theological training at Warsaw and Belgrade Universities. In Belgrade, Mitrofan Konstantinovich befriended the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Blessed Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) and with Hieromonk Johan (Maximovich), the future bishop of Shanghai and San Francisco. Mitrofan Konstantinovich was ordained in 1936 and performed his clerical service in the Dormition Church of the town of Omelenets (Byelorussia), the St. Nicholas Church in Brest-Litovsk, the Dormition Church in Casablanca, and for the final 43 years of his life in the St. Seraphim Church in Sea Cliff (near New York City).

In 1989, protopresbyter Mitrofan's matushka passed away and in 1990 he was called to episcopal service with the title "Bishop of Boston, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese." Over the course of many years Bishop Mitrofan was the spiritual father of the former First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia--Metropolitan Vitaly.
Vladyka Mitrofan possessed great moral authority and he was often turned to for advice, not only by the faithful and clergy, but by bishops as well. Bishop Mitrofan, over the course of many years taught apologetics and comparative theology in the Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville. Bishop Mitrofan's textbook on comparative theology was republished several times in Russia. Also published were the two-volume set of the bishop's sermons, "In Defense of Truth," and his memoirs.

Not long before the death of Bishop Mitrofan the clergy of the Eastern-American Diocese performed the Last Rites over him, and Metropolitan Laurus and Bishop Gabriel visited and prayed with him. The funeral of Bishop Mitrofan was conducted by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus with a multitude of bishops and clergymen on 18 February in Sea Cliff. The burial service was held on the following day in the cemetery of Holy Trinity Monastery.