Metropolitan Christopher (Kovacevic)

Metropolitan Christopher (Kovačević) (1928-2010)

Kovačević may be spelt Kovacevic, Kovachevich.

Early life of Velimir P Kovačević

On 25 December, 1928, Velimir P Kovačević was born to Petar and Rista Kovačević (Kovachevich) in Galveston, Texas. He was the seventh of 12 children in a family of Serbian immigrants. His father had immigrated earlier in the century, and his mother arrived in 1914 (on the eve of World War I). Both were from Montenegro (Crna Gora). His mother was from Grahovo near Nikšić.

He received the name Velimir at his baptism. The parents raised the children as Orthodox Christians within the bosom of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA.

Velimir helped in the Altar as an acolyte from the time when he was a young boy. During the summer breaks, he worked in a bakery and delivered newspapers.

Higher education

In 1945, after his graduation from high school, Velimir entered Saint Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Seminary in Libertyville, Illinois.

At that time, part of the instruction was given at Nashotah House, an Anglo-Catholic seminary of the Episcopal Church located in Nashotah, Wisconsin. He subsequently graduated from Saint Sava’s Seminary.

Metropolitan Christopher would later frequently recall that period of his life and Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović).

 When asked how well did Bishop Nikolai speak and write in English, he would answer : ‘The 
 bishop knew English grammar and spelling very well.  I typed his English writings on an old 
 typewriter, and my obedience was to correct the spelling and grammar since I was born in 
 America and spoke English.  There were hardly ever any mistakes !’

Velimir Kovačević completed the seminary studies in Libertyville in 1949, and he moved to Akron, Ohio. With the blessing of his bishop, Bishop Dionisije (Milivojević), on the Feast of the Ascension of Christ in 1949, Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović) tonsured him to be a reader.

Marriage, 1951

After graduating from Saint Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Seminary, Velimir Kovačević married Milka Raicević on 20 September, 1951.

Ordinations, 1951

Afterwards, Velimir Kovačević was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on 25 November, 1951.

On 2 December, 1951, Deacon Velimir Kovačević was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Dionisije (Milivojević).

Pastoral service

From 1951-1954, Priest Velimir Kovačević served the Saint Nicholas Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and children began to be born to Father Velimir and Papadia Milka.

In addition to his parish duties, Father Velimir continued and completed his studies in philosophy and history. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) and a Master of Letters (History) at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1954, he was assigned to Saint Sava’s Church in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area, where he remained until 1962. During his time in Pittsburgh, he served as chaplain at 4 local universities. He served as secretary of the Central Council, director of the committee for Christian Education and the summer church camp. In addition to this, he was editor of 2 church journals.

In 1962, he was transferred to the Saint Archangel Michael parish in South Chicago, Illinois.

When the schism occurred in the Serbian Orthodox Church in America and Canada in 1963, Father Velimir Kovačević remained, together with his parish, within the canonical Serbian Orthodox Church. During the schism, in accordance with the recommendation of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Church of Serbia and the Assembly (“Sabor”) of Bishops, he served as the main translator before the state courts. Many of the documents from that period were translated by him into Serbian.

In 1964, he was elevated by Bishop Firmilian (Ocokoljic) to the dignity of protopresbyter (archpriest).

As pastor of the South Chicago parish, Father Velimir established the Serbian Orthodox Association for church school teachers and the youth. The main mission of this organisation was to promote quality education for teachers.

While he was the parish priest in South Chicago, he completed his studies and received the Master of Divinity degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, Massachusetts. He also completed courses and examinations for a doctorate at the Chicago Theological Seminary. However, because of his many obligations, he was unable to defend his dissertation.

Widowhood, 1970

In 1970, Father Velimir’s wife Milka fell asleep in the Lord. They had been married for 19 years, and they had received from the Lord 4 children. Father Velimir continued to care for his family, and to serve in his parish.

Monastic tonsure, 1978

In 1978, at their regular May meeting, the Holy Assembly (Sabor) of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected the Protopresbyter Velimir Kovačević to be a bishop.

He was then tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Christopher.

Episcopal ordination, 1978

Afterwards, in 1978, Hieromonk Christopher (Kovačević) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Patriarch German (Đorić) in Belgrade, Serbia.

Episcopal service

Bishop Christopher (Kovačević) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Eastern America and Canada. Thus, he became the first American-born bishop to serve a diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North America (another bishop was born in the USA, who served in Serbia : Saint Varnava (Nastić)). Vladyka Christopher came to be known throughout the continent.

While he served as the bishop of Eastern America and Canada, he developed the diocesan programmes for Christian education. He completely computerised the administration of the diocese (the system is still used). He represented the Serbian Orthodox Church at pan-Orthodox conferences. He took part in the work of the dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholic bishops, and he participated also in the Orthodox-Lutheran dialogue. He represented the Serbian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches.

He suggested to the Holy Assembly (“Sabor”) of Bishops in May, 1983, that a re-structuring of his diocese be undertaken, and that 2 dioceses be established : the Diocese of Eastern America with its See in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, and the Diocese of Canada with its See in Toronto, Ontario. He continued to administer the Diocese of Eastern America until 1991.

At the regular meeting of the Holy Assembly (“Sabor”) of Bishops in May, 1991, (on the 70th anniversary of the Midwestern Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA), Vladyka Christopher was elected to be the first metropolitan of the newly-formed Metropolitanate of Midwestern America. The headquarters were established at the Saint Sava Monastery in Libertyville. Bishop Christopher was also named the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America.

After his arrival as metropolitan, he also served as Dean of the Saint Sava School of Theology in Libertyville. He worked with state officials towards having the School of Theology in Libertyville recognised as an institution of higher education in the USA, in Canada, and in Europe as well.

In 1997, Metropolitan Christopher was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree (honoris causa) by the Nashotah House Anglican Seminary (at that time a very traditional "high-church" institution).

After the re-structuring of the Serbian dioceses in the United States of America, and for the good of the Church, Metropolitan Christopher received a new title in 2009. He became the Metropolitan of Libertyville-Chicago. The Metropolitanate (or Metropolis) of Midwestern America was transferred to Bishop Longin (Krčo) of New Gracanica.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops, at their meeting rendered the following decision according to which the Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church on that territory were to be be structured in the following manner :

 The dioceses shall include [...] the Metropolitanate of Libertyville-Chicago, with its See at St. Sava Monastery in 
 Libertyville (comprised of St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois and the Holy Resurrection Cathedral Church 
 with its three parishes), whose Metropolitan shall be president of the Episcopal and Central Church Councils and of the 
 Church-Laity Assembly, and thereby the ex officio representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church on that territory. [...]

During his many years of episcopal service, Vladyka Christopher participated actively in the Standing Commission of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), which has now become the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America. In this and other assemblies of clergy, he was a helpful spokesman on behalf of the very often misunderstood Serbian Orthodox Church and the people of Serbia.

In May, 2010, he served as secretary of the North American Episcopal Assembly of the Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Christopher also frequently returned to the city of his birth (Galveston) to preside at weddings and baptisms at Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church.

Repose, 2010

On Wednesday, 18 August, 2010, Metropolitan Christopher (Kovačević) fell asleep in the Lord, on the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, at Saint Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois. He had suffered from complications associated with bone, brain and stomach cancer.

On Monday, 23 August, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., a Hierarchical Memorial Divine Liturgy was served at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (5701 N Redwood Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60631). The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), First Hierarch of The Orthodox Church in America, along with Bishop Georgije (Djokić) of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada ; Bishop Mitrofan (Kodić) of the Serbian Orthodox Eastern Diocese of the USA ; Bishop Longin (Krčo) of Novi Gračanica-Midwestern America ; Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević) of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America ; Bishop Iriney (Dobrijević) of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand ; Bishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Midwestern America (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) ; Bishop Mark (Maymon) of Toledo and the Midwest (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese).

Also on Monday, at 7:00 p.m., the Funeral Matins (the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Hierarch) was served at Holy Resurrection Cathedral.

On Tuesday, 24 August, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., a Hierarchical Memorial Divine Liturgy was served at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois.

Serving clergy at the funeral

The body of Metropolitan Christopher was interred at the Saint Sava Cemetery at the monastery in Libertyville.

At the interment

— Bishop of Eastern America and Canada 1978-1991. Preceded by : Bishop Mitrofan (Kodić). Succeeded by : ____.

— Metropolitan of Midwestern America 1991-2009. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by : ____.

— Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America.

— Metropolitan of Libertyville-Chicago 2009-2010. Preceded by : Title created. Succeeded by : Bishop Longin (Krčo).

Reflections

When he was notified about the repose of Metropolitan Christopher, Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilović) wrote :

 Metropolitan Christopher of blessed repose departs to his Lord, Whom he served faithfully and 
 devotedly from his days as a student until his last breath.  He had the immense honour to be the 
 student of the greatest teacher of our people and age, Saint Bishop Nikolai, to whom he was of 
 great use in preparing his literary works for publication. [...] We hope that our good 
 Metropolitan Christopher, from the world where there is neither sorrow nor grief, but joy and 
 bliss in unity with the Lord and all the saints, will care for his Church and his flock, and 
 remain henceforth a devoted intercessor in prayer for his faithful flock.

Protodeacon Dr. Damjan S Božić in Belgrade wrote about him :

 Metropolitan Christopher is undoubtedly one of the most significant witnesses and players in 
 the recent history of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The legitimacy of his participation in the 
 battle against the schism in the Church is in the fact that this spiritual bard, though born 
 outside the borders of Serbia, remained with the Mother Church. His social, but above all 
 spiritual, engagements are interwoven with the living threads of advantages and disadvantages, 
 ups and downs of a people who came here to stay and brought with them many customs. With the 
 aim of creating a Christ-like nation, Kovacevic, instead of building up a nationalistic 
 identity always emphasized Christ and always put in the first place the Church from whence we 
 all receive our identity. In the constant battle Metropolitan Christopher never complained.

At the funeral of Metropolitan Christopher at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chicago, Bishop Georgije (Djokić) of Canada said :

 He [...] his existence, fulfilled his mission, and led the Church on this continent to 
 unity.  The battle was great but Metropolitan Christopher's energy was greater. Everything he 
 said he backed up with his actions.  He never did anything for himself but only for the Church. 
 Thus, it wasn’t difficult for him to ‘give’ his entire diocese and unite it with the Diocese 
 of New Gracanica for the sake of God-pleasing unity, keeping for himself only one church in 
 Chicago and the most significant monastery, St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville.  No one took 
 his Diocese, no one would have asked for such a sacrifice, but Metropolitan Christopher of 
 blessed repose knew that a speedy unity could be reached only in that manner.

Eulogising Metropolitan Christopher in a moving sermon, His Grace Bishop Irinej (Dobrijević) of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, amongst many words of praise, stated that :

 We have lost a very strong spiritual and administrative leader who helped foster bilingual church services and schooling, 
 and had a profound spiritual influence on the lives of many people during his 60 years of pastoral service to Christ's
 holy Church.

After the procession to the grave site with the late Metropolitan's earthly remains, Archpriest Nikola Ceko, Dean of the Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Alhambra, California, bid farewell to the Metropolitan at his graveside, saying that :

 During his long history as priest and then as hierarch, Metropolitan Christopher had to make many challenging decisions 
 which were not always popular, but always right and in accordance with the teaching of the Gospel and the sacred order 
 of the Orthodox Church.

After the interment of Metropolitan Christopher of blessed repose, a memorial luncheon was offered at the hall of Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois. During the luncheon, Priest Darko Spasojevich, Cathedral Dean, thanked everyone for their prayers and support. He introduced Archpriest Dennis Pavichevich, the Metropolitan's Deputy, who gave a very moving and compassionate speech, in which he recalled his personal memories of Metropolitan Christopher. Many representatives of various church-affiliated organisations addressed the family and the people present : Mrs. Danijela Randjelović, President of the St. Sava Monastery Women's Auxiliary Organisation, Mrs. Yvonne Orlich, 1st Vice President of the Serbian Singing Federation, Mrs. Biljana Sević, President of the Executive Board of the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Mr. Constantine Triantafillou, Director of the IOCC, Mr. Dmitar Rakić, a longtime friend from Saint Archangel Michael Parish, and Mr. Petar Kovachevich, son of the late Metropolitan Christopher.

Honour

Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) from Nashotah House Episcopalian Seminary in Nashota, Wisconsin.

References

Wikipedia biography

Serbian Wikipedia biography

Revolvy.com biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

Serbian Orthodox Church obituary

Serbian Diocese obituary

"Memory Eternal : Metropolitan Christopher" (Antiochian Archdiocese obituary)

Additional information

Vasiljevic, Maxim, “The Serbian Christian Heritage in America 1815-2019” (Alhambra, CA : St Sebastian Press, 2019). ISBN 10 : 1936773554 ; ISBN 13 : 978-1836773558.

......, “The Christian Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija : The Historical and Spiritual Heartland of the Serbian People” (Alhambra, CA : St Sebastian Orthodox Press with others, 2015). ISBN : 978-1-936773-18-3. Also published online :

Vuković, Sava, “History of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America and Canada 1891–1941” (Kragujevac : Kalenić 1998)

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

“Chicago Tribune” obituary

Galveston Daily News obituary

Serbian Patriarchate obituary

"Metropolitan Christopher of Libertyville-Chicago fell asleep in the Lord" : Serbian Orthodox announcement

Radiosvetigora article

RTV obituary

"Metropolitan Christopher was interred” (in Serbian and English)

Orthodox Christianity : Funeral served for the reposed Metropolitan Serbian Metropolitan Christopher of Chicago and Libertyville

Saint Nikolaj (Velimirović)

Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilović)

Bishop Longin (Krčo)

Bishop Sava Vuković