One-Year Memorial Encyclical
Upon the Falling Asleep in the Lord of Archbishop Iakovos
Former Archbishop of North and South America

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day, Afternoon and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On behalf of our Holy Eparchial Synod, I write to you on the first year anniversary of the blessed passing away of Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America. One year ago, we grieved deeply upon offering our last respects to a great ecclesiastical leader who led the Church and the Omogeneia for decades.

Today, his legacy lives on, and we honor the fruits of his labors as a dynamic witness to Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America and abroad. He defended zealously the civil liberties of people, advanced passionately issues concerning our Nation, worked intensively for Christian unity, and sowed generously the seed of the Gospel. His course of action constitutes a standard of application of Christian ideals in the world and an example of ecclesiastical offering.

In honor of the life and offering to the Church and the Nation of our Archbishop of blessed memory, all parishes of our Holy Archdiocese are hereby directed to conduct a one-year memorial service at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, April 9, 2006. Let this memorial service be an inspiration for all of us to comprehend the power of the Gospel, and our ultimate duty to promote it, as we pray for the repose of the soul of our deeply respected and beloved Archbishop Iakovos.

May his memory inspire all and be eternal.

With paternal love in Christ,

+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America