It is with sincere sorrow that the Mother Holy Great Church of Christ announces the falling asleep in the Lord of His Eminence former Senior Archbishop Iakovos of America, at the age of 94, last night.

This spiritual leader of the pious flock of the Orthodox community of America, born on the glorious island of Imvros of the Aegean Sea, became an individual with international authority. He expressed the ages old tradition of orthodox spirituality in the New World, where he served Orthodoxy and our People with great devotion and success from many different positions.  Hence, the Mother Church will remember him with deep gratefulness, wishing him an eternal memory.

This Hierarch of blessed memory honoured the Mother Church, who honoured him, and spent his life until his late age in her service, expressing the martyr-like spirit of the Ecumenical Throne.

He led the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for thirty-seven years and with his authority promoted with words and with works the faith of our fathers and the culture of our people.  Always representing the Mother Church in front of religious and political personalities, he made Orthodoxy respected, being himself appreciated and respected.

Like a well-travelled ship, he anchored in peace when he retired in 1996, but still, he did not stop caring conscientiously and with all of his power for the general good of the Church and her faithful.

Now that the blessed soul of this venerable hierarch and valuable member of our Ecumenical Patriarchate is in the hands of the Lord, we pray fervently for his repose and for him to be worthy to see the face of the Great Hierarch, our Lord Jesus Christ, and we express our condolences to the pious flock of the Archdiocese of America, which the departed Hierarch so honestly and deeply loved.

May his memory be eternal and blessed.

At the Patriarchate, 11 April 2005

From the Chief Secretariat
of the Holy and Sacred Synod