Published by The National Herald, April 21, 2005

Metropolitan Methodios Eulogy for Archbishop Iakovos

Below is the text of the eulogy Metropolitan Methodios offered during the burial service of the late Archbishop Iakovos on the grounds of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts last Friday, April 15:

As it has twice in the past, with Metropolitan Silas (of New Jersey) and Bishop Gerasimos (of Avydos), our School opens its earthly bosom to embrace a beloved hierarch. Archbishop Iakovos will soon rest in peace behind the Chapel of the Holy Cross, not far away from the statue of his mentor, Patriarch Athenagoras. It was he, serving in those days as Archbishop of America, who summoned then Deacon Iakovos Coucouzis to come from Constantinople to serve the Church here in America. The Patriarch would often beckon him to look into each other’s eyes, and into each other’s heart and soul, to share their dreams and visions for the future of Orthodoxy in America, and indeed throughout the world.

It was Archbishop Iakovos’ wish to be buried on the grounds of this school, where he taught for many years and served as its Dean. He loved Hellenic College/Holy Cross – its faculty, its students and its alumni.

During his arch-pastoral ministry from 1959 to 1996, the School was his number-one priority. He knew the vital and critically important role it had to play in the future of the Archdiocese. He encouraged its administrators, its faculty and its students to strive for academic excellence and personal holiness. He would visit as often as he could to attend various conferences and meetings of the faculty and the Board of Trustees. He especially enjoyed the opportunities he had to speak to students. He would encourage them and challenge them to be the very best they could be.

During his life, Archbishop Iakovos was the recipient of many honors and distinctions. Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Carter was certainly among the most significant. But I believe one of the most exalted moments in his life occurred on September 12, 1999, the day he presided at ceremonies dedicating the new Library and Learning Center named in his honor. How proud and grateful we all were that President George Bush came to honor this great American, this great churchman.

Today we bid farewell to a clergyman who honored his priesthood every day, every moment of his life. Archbishop Iakovos was born to be a priest. He was destined by Almighty God to be a leader in the Church. And what a leader he was. He made those of us born in America proud of our faith and cultural heritage. He moved Greek Orthodoxy into the mainstream of the religious, cultural and political life of our nation.

It is extremely difficult for me to express my sentiments at this moment. As an altar boy, I first set my gaze upon him during his installation on the 1st of April 1959. Little did I know that the time would come when he would ordain me to the three ranks of the Holy Priesthood (deacon, priest and bishop), and that I would become the Bishop here in Boston, where Archbishop Iakovos was a legend.

Having served for over 12 years as Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral, he touched the lives of thousands of faithful, especially the young children of the Cathedral Sunday School. They listened spellbound, in a hypnotic rapture, as Father Coucouzis taught them the tenets of our Faith. The Cathedral Community mourns the loss of their beloved pastor. They are joined by people from throughout the world, Christians and non-Christians, men and women of all faiths, who recognized in the person of Archbishop Iakovos a great ecumenist, one of the most charismatic and visionary spiritual leaders of our time. They thank Almighty God for this man of God who leaves behind a legacy unparalleled in the modern history of Orthodoxy.

Over the last few days, many newspaper articles have been written, many eulogies offered. They have brought back memories of our personal experiences with Archbishop Iakovos, treasured in the kaleidoscope of our minds. I have a number, etched on the parchment of my heart, which I will treasure for the rest of my life. I shall never forget accompanying him as he traveled the length and breadth of the Archdiocese to visit parishes from Maine to Mexico, from Alaska to Argentina.

A man of prayer, he began and ended his every day in the Chapel of the Archdiocese or the Chapel in his residence. No one celebrated the Divine Services with more faith and fervor than did he. And no one seemed to be able to deliver a homily as eloquently as did he. We are taught by a hymn of our Church that "angels ministered" to Saint Spyridon as he offered prayers during the Divine Services. Forgive me if you feel I am exaggerating, but when Archbishop Iakovos celebrated the Divine Services he, too, seemed to have a legion of angels ministering with him.

Archbishop Iakovos was a truly magnificent person, a man of wisdom and inner strength. He was an imposing man, a unique individual, "an icon of the ineffable glory of God." He was majestic and powerful, yet gentle and humble. He was patient and understanding, intolerant only of those who enshrouded their true selves beneath the mantle of false humility. He was blessed with a brilliant mind and sharp wit, which he maintained until his last breath.

While his physical strength waned in his final days, his mind remained as radiant as always. He was an extremely intelligent person with an encyclopedic education. No one could quote chapter and verse from the New Testament as did he. His thirst for knowledge was never quenched. He was an avid reader and a prolific writer. His knowledge of Greek and English (and several other languages, for that matter) was unparalleled. I remember how he and his lifelong friend and secretary, Vassilios Vassiliadis, would have lengthy discussions and contests about the etymology of Greek words. His knowledge of English was incredible. Anyone who ever played scrabble with him on Martha’s Vineyard learned words that weren’t yet included in Webster’s Dictionary of the English language. He was a perfectionist, you see. He always played to win. And when the score was close, and you thought you finally had a chance to win a scrabble match with him, Archbishop Iakovos would come up with a word that you knew didn’t exist, before he assured you that it did.

The passing of Archbisop Iakovos brings to an end an era. His book of life has been filled and placed in the library of eternity. We will miss him terribly. We will miss his powerful stature, his courageous leadership, his sage advice, his fatherly admonition. While we mourn his loss, we are strengthened by our faith in the Lord, Who is the Resurrection and the Life and the Repose of the noble soul of this great man. We thank God that He blessed each of us in this Chapel, that he blessed America, our Church and humanity itself with the life of this charismatic man.



Volume 7 Number 17 - Tuesday, April 26th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY