Metropolitan Iakovos (STH'57)

Metropolitan Iakovos grew up hiding Jews in his home during the Axis occupation of Greece, sparking a life of interfaith and unifying work.
The first to hold the position of Metropolitan of Chicago in the Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Iakovos died Friday after an unexpected illness and surgery.
The 89-year-old was the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in six Midwestern states, and a well-respected member of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, an interfaith organization.
In World War II, “He grew up seeing what hatred and division can do to people,” said the Rev. Stanley Davis Jr., co-executive director of the council. “One of the major things in his life was to fight against that.”
Born in 1928 in Athens as Michael Garmatis, Metropolitan Iakovos moved to Boston as a young clergyman, earned his doctorate from Boston University and was elected a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in 1969. He then served as an auxiliary bishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, overseeing parishes in Detroit and New England, the church said.
Metropolitan Iakovos was elected and enthroned as Bishop of Chicago in 1979 and then elevated to the honorary rank of Metropolitan in 1997. He became the first Metropolitan when the Diocese of Chicago was elevated to the status of Metropolis in 2002.

*Obituary has been re-posted from the following website:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-leader-greek-orthodox-church-obituary-met-20170603-story.html

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