CHICAGO, IL – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is mourning the passing of Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, 89, who fell asleep in the Lord last night, June 2, 2017, at Chicago’s Weiss Memorial Hospital following a short illness.
Archbishop Demetrios of America presided at the funeral service for Metropolitan Iakovos, Friday, June 9, 2017 at 10:30am (see services program below) at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Chicago. The Divine Liturgy preceded the funeral at 7:30am. The previous evening Thursday, June 8, the Archbishop chanted a Trisagion service in the Cathedral at 7:00pm.
Immediately following the announcement of the passing of Metropolitan Iakovos, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America stated: “With the falling asleep in the Lord of the late Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, the Church in America has lost a prominent Hierarch, known for his great and long service to the people of God.
A long friendship connected me with the departed Hierarch since the time we were both students at the School of Theology of the University of Athens following World War II. Already at that time, the unforgettable hierarch distinguished himself for his deep piety, his ecclesiastical ethos and the special love he had for the sacred services of our Orthodox liturgical tradition.”
Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago has served the Greek Orthodox Church in America for almost 50 years.
He was born in Athens in 1928 where he received his basic and high school education. He graduated from the Theological School of the University of Athens and was ordained to the diaconate and the holy priesthood. He served the church in Athens until 1954 and later pursued graduate studies in Boston, while at the same time serving as priest in the area.
He was appointed Archdiocesan Vicar of the 7th Archiepiscopal District of Detroit by Archbishop Iakovos in February 1968. One year later, in 1969, he was elected to the episcopacy by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He was consecrated Bishop of Apameia (an Auxiliary Bishop of Archbishop Iakovos) on Christmas Day of 1969, and appointed to the 7th Archiepiscopal District of Detroit as Bishop of that district.
In 1971 he was appointed President of Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, while remaining as administrative overseer of the Diocese of Detroit. He simultaneously served as the Bishop of the New England/Boston area during his five-year tenure as President of Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology.
Following the reorganization of the Archdiocesan Districts into Dioceses, Bishop Iakovos was enthroned by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America on May 1, 1979, as the Bishop of Chicago at the Annunciation Cathedral.
In November 1997, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Chicago to the active Metropolitanate of Krinis and Exarch of Ionias. In this capacity, His Eminence continued to serve the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Chicago as its Presiding Hierarch. In December of 2002, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Dioceses of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to Metropolises of the Archdiocese and elected all of the Hierarchs of the Dioceses as Metropolitans of their respective Metropolises, thus Metropolitan Iakovos was elected Metropolitan of Chicago.
The Holy Metropolis of Chicago of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America consists of 59 parishes in total, thirty-four parishes in Illinois, with another twenty-five parishes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, northern Indiana, and eastern Missouri; as well as two monastic communities.
Under his leadership of Metropolitan Iakovos, the Metropolis has increased its efforts to assist the homeless and those in need, as witnessed in the labors of the Metropolis Philanthropy Committee. He has founded new Youth programs, established various local Dialogue Commissions with other faith communities and worked with other area Religious Leaders in promoting justice and truth in our society.
Various other programs of the Metropolis established by the departed Metropolitan include the Bishop Iakovos Scholarship Assistance Program; the Bishop’s Task-Force on AIDS; the Metropolis Jr. Olympics; the Festival of Orthodox Books; as well as numerous programs in religion and Greek education.
SERVICES FOR METROPOLITAN IAKOVOS OF CHICAGO
DIVINE LITURGY: Divine Liturgy will precede the funeral starting at 7:30 a.m. on June 9 at Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.
FUNERAL: Archbishop Demetrios will preside at the funeral, which will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday morning, June 9.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Iakovos Retreat Center 920 224th Ave. Kansasville, Wisconsin, 53139.
LIVE STREAMING OF SERVICES: All services will be streamed live on the internet at https://www.annunciationcathedralchicago.org/video and on the Archdiocese Website at www.GoArch.org.
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