On Wednesday, 11/24 October 2001, the day of the commemoration of the holy Apostle Philip of the Seventy and the Venerable Theophanes the Confessor, having assembled in the city of New York at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign, in honor of her Kursk-Root Icon, at an open extraordinary session of our Council, praying after the Divine Liturgy, and having served a panikhida for the ever-memorable Metropolitans Anthony, Anastasy and Philaret and a service of supplication to the Mother of God before her miraculous Kursk-Root Icon, and also to the holy hierarchs Tikhon the Patriarch and John of Shanghai of San Francisco, the wonderworker, and having invoked the gracious aid of the Holy Spirit, we, the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, proceeded to the election of a new First Hierarch of the ROCOR, after this cathedra became vacant on the decision of His Eminence, Metropolitan Vitaly, to go into retirement.

There were eighteen hierarchal electors, of whom six were not present but sent in their votes in writing.

At the first ballot, the votes of Their Graces were distributed as follows: Archbishop Laurus-12 votes; Archbishop Mark-1 vote; Archbishop Hilarion-1 vote; Bishop Benjamin-1 vote; and three hierarchs abstained. Thus, the Right Reverend Laurus, having received 2/3 of the votes on the first ballot was, in accordance with the Order for the Election of the First Hierarch, elected the fifth First Hierarch of the ROCOR.

We beseech Almighty God to send down His blessing upon the further ministry of our First Hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus. Amen.

[handwritten:] I give thanks, accept and say nought against it. +Metropolitan Laurus