Three-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 Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, 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 third year anniversary of the passing away of our deeply beloved and respected Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America. Our memory of Archbishop Iakovos remains alive after three years since his falling asleep in the Lord. We remember him for his tireless efforts and intense passion for promoting the truth of the Gospel. He had been a visionary who championed civil liberties and the growth of Christian unity, and a great ecclesiastical leader of our Church and Omogenia for decades. 

In honor of his life and in honor of his leadership to our Church and our Nation, all parishes of our Holy Archdiocese are hereby directed to conduct a memorial service at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, April 6, 2008. As we pray for the repose of the soul of our deeply beloved and respected Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory, let us keep him in our minds and hearts as a source of strength, particularly during this season of Holy Lent, and let us strive toward that standard of virtue that he set as a stalwart servant of Christ and His Holy Church. 

May his memory be eternal.

With paternal love in Christ,

+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America