Archbishop Demetrios of America has announced the passing of Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, 89, who passed away on the evening of June 2, 2017, at Chicago’s Weiss Memorial Hospital following a short illness.

Beginning his higher education in Athens, Greece and continuing his studies and service in the Boston area, Metropolitan Iakovos was appointed Archdiocesan Vicar of the Diocese of Detroit by Archbishop Iakovos in February 1968.

One year later he was elevated to the rank of Bishop by the Holy See of Constantinople. He was consecrated Bishop of Apameia (an Auxiliary Bishop of Archbishop Iakovos) on Christmas Day of 1969, and appointed to the Diocese of Detroit as Bishop of that district.

In 1971 he was appointed President of Hellenic College and 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 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, he 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.

Under his leadership the Metropolis increased its efforts to assist the homeless and those in need. He also founded new Youth programs, established various local Dialogue Commissions with other faith communities and continued to work with other area religious leaders in the region.