NCC mourns passing of Metropolitan Christopher

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

>His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher, 82
>Serbian Orthodox Primate in U.S. and Canada

See: www.ncccusa.org/news/100820christopher.html

Chicago, August 20, 2010 -- His Eminence Christopher, Metropolitan of 
Liber tyville-Chicago and Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 
the U.S. and  Canada, died Wednesday at the age of 82.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National 
Council of  Churches, wrote to the church's episcopal council today 
to express "sadnes s and deepest condolences on the repose of 
Metropolitan Christopher of bles sed memory." 

"We have upheld Metropolitan Christopher in our prayers since we 
learned of  his grave illness," Kinnamon wrote on behalf of the NCC's 
36 member commun ions. "Our sadness at his passing is comforted by 
our understanding that it  is God's will and by our gratitude to God 
for his life and leadership. We  will continue to remember your 
community and its leadership in this time of  sadness and transition."

Born in Galveston, Texas, and baptized Velimir Kovacevich, the future 
Metro politan Christopher was the ninth of twelve children of Serbian 
immigrant p arents. After graduation from high school, he attended 
Nashotah House and g raduated from St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Seminary 
in Libertyville, Illinois.
After marrying, he was ordained to the Diaconate and Priesthood. He 
earned  a B.A. (Philosophy), Master of Letters (History) at the 
University of Pitts burgh; the Master of Divinity from Holy Cross 
Greek Orthodox School of Theo logy in Brookline, Massachusetts, and 
completed courses and examinations fo r the doctorate at the Chicago 
Theological Seminary.

Father Velimir ministered to parishes in Pennsylvania and in Chicago 
and se rved as chaplain to four universities. He assisted his 
parishes to become b ilingual in their worship and education 
programs. As a priest, he served as  spiritual father, counselor, 
youth worker, administrator, educator, and, a bove all, in priestly 
ministry at the Holy Altar. Widowed in 1970, he is th e father of 
four, as well as the grandfather of nine.

Elevated to the episcopate in 1978 by the Assembly of Bishops in 
Belgrade,  and tonsured with the monastic name of Christopher, he 
became the first Ame rican-born bishop to serve a diocese of his 
church in North America.

As Bishop of Eastern America and Canada, he soon developed a 
diocesan-wide  program in religious education. Active also in 
ecumenism, he has served on  the joint commission of Orthodox and 
Roman Catholic bishops and on the Orth odox-Lutheran dialogue, and 
has represented his church at high levels in bo th the National and 
World Councils of Churches. In 1991, he was elevated to  the rank of 
Metropolitan, thereby becoming Primate of the Serbian Orthodox  
Church in the U.S. and Canada.                          

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of 
Christ  in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical 
cooperation among Chri stians in the United States. The NCC's 36 
member faith groups -- from a wid e spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, 
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African  American and Living Peace 
churches -- include 45 million persons in more t han 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 ( cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org