NEW YORK – Metropolitan Christopher, of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at the age of 81.

Archbishop Demetrios, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, immediately upon hearing of the passing of the esteemed Archpastor conveyed his “deepest and heartfelt condolences to the precious flock of His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher, and to his beloved family.”

Archbishop Demetrios, in his letter addressed to the Locum Tenens, Bishop Mitrophan states:

I join you and clergy and laity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in prayerfully commending this beloved shepherd of the Church to our Heavenly Father’s eternal love.  I am confident that the memory of his dedicated archpastoral ministry distinguished by his fervent commitment to education, ecumenism, and church unity will inspire the precious flock he served ever so zealously to respond ever more generously to the call of discipleship.

May Our Savior give rest to this devoted servant of God among the spirits of the saints and righteous perfected in faith. Eternal be the memory of His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher, the unforgettable brother and distinguished Hierarch, worthy of blessedness and everlasting remembrance.

Metropolitan Christopher was born on Christmas Day in 1928 in Galveston Texas. He was the ninth of twelve children of Serbian immigrant parents, the late Petar and Rista Kovacevich. He was baptized Velimir Kovacevich. After graduation from high school, he attended Nashotah House and graduated from St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Seminary in Libertyville, Illinois. After marriage, he was ordained to the Diaconate and Priesthood. Continuing his education, he earned a B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh, the Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, and completed courses and examinations for the doctorate at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Father Velimir ministered to parishes in Pennsylvania and in Chicago, also serving as chaplain to four universities. He assisted his parishes to become bilingual in their worship and education programs, and at the same time he was active in the defense of unity and canonical order in his church during a period of schism. As a priest, he served as spiritual father, counselor, youth worker, administrator, educator, and, above all, in priestly ministry at the Holy Altar. Widowed in 1970, he is the 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 American-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 Orthodox-Lutheran dialogue, and has represented his church at high levels in both the National and World Councils of Churches. In 1991, he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of the Midwestern Diocese of his church, thereby becoming also its Primate.

A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated Monday August 23, at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, in Chicago. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Requiem Service, followed by interment were held Tuesday, August 24, at the St. Sava Monastery, in Libertyville, Ill.

May the Lord our God grant blessed repose and eternal rest to His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher.