OCA Chancery
Syosset, New York
July 11, 1997
Your Holiness, Patriarch ALEKSY, dear brother and concelebrant in the Lord:
On behalf of the venerable hierarchs, the reverend clergy, the humble monastics, and devout faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, we are extremely grateful to have received from the Russian Orthodox Church the official press release concerning the return of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Hebron to the Russian Orthodox Church. We are sure Your Holiness is aware that there have been distorted reports circulating here in North America and elsewhere concerning the return of this monastery to Your Holiness’ archpastoral care.
We are pleased to learn that the monastery in Hebron has been rightfully returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, confirming the recognition by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority of the rights of the Moscow Patriarchate in this matter. The monastery was built by the Russian Orthodox Church and people to serve Orthodox Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. Now again, under the care of the Moscow Patriarchate, such pious and faithful pilgrims will be hospitably received at the Trinity Monastery in Hebron.
Your Holiness, please be assured of our deep and heartfelt prayers on behalf of Your Holiness and the faithful flock in your archpastoral care. We humbly ask you to pray for us and the Orthodox Church in America.
With love in Christ,
+ THEODOSIUS
Archbishop of Washington,
Metropolitan of All America and Canada
Primate, Orthodox Church in America