November 1, 2006
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago’s Chancellor
V. Rev. Archimandrite Demetri Kantzavelos
Elected Assistant Bishop
NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America announces on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the unanimous election by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Demetrios Kantzavelos, Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, as an Assistant Bishop to the Holy Archdiocese of America, “presently for the needs of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, with the high title of the once renown diocese of Mokissos.”
On the announcement of the election, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America said: “I congratulate the newly elected bishop and I wholeheartedly wish him a fruitful and creative service in his new most sacred mission. May he have the permanent support of God in his labors for the good of the Church and for the glory of God.”
Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago said, shortly after Archbishop Demetrios of America forwarded the results of the Patriarchal Holy Synod to him, “We joyfully welcome the news of the election; we congratulate the Bishop-elect and look forward to our continued work together for the strengthening of our Holy Church.
After Bishop-elect Demetri received the results of the election, he stated "Giving glory to God for all things, I am greatly humbled and appreciative of being entrusted with this awesome and sacred ministry, and I ask for the prayers of all."
A native Chicagoan born to first-generation Greek Americans, Bishop-elect Demetri C. Kantzavelos, named as ‘one of the twelve people to watch’ by The Chicago Sun-Times (January 5th, 2003), grew up as an active participant in the life of the city's historic Assumption Greek Orthodox Community located at 601 S. Central Avenue. He went on to attend Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he obtained his graduate divinity degree 'with high distinction' in 1987. Following graduation he pursued post-graduate work in the doctoral philosophy program of Chicago's Loyola University, concentrating in the area of metaphysics.
Having received a monastic tonsure, Bishop-elect Demetri was ordained to the Diaconate October of 1989. In 1992, he was ordained to the priesthood, and in 1995 elevated to the rank of Archimandrite, all through the hands of the now Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago. Since then, he has served as assistant and Deacon to the bishop, as associate pastor of Annunciation Cathedral of Chicago, and presently as Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago.
Bishop-elect Demetri has worked extensively to build bridges of understanding and improve relationships between Chicago’s Greek Orthodox Community and other Orthodox groups, other Christian and non-Christian groups. His ecumenical and interfaith commitments are numerous, coalescing around areas of social justice and advocacy. To this end, in February of 2003, he co-founded a local initiative to improve relations between the Turkish and Greek communities in Chicago.
In 1992, Bishop-elect Demetri established the Bishop's Task Force on AIDS, the first formal Orthodox Christian response to this pandemic in the western hemisphere. This ministry received widespread recognition, as its founder-coordinator Bishop-elect Demetri was named Outstanding Community Leader by the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1995, and received the Jim Noone Award for Religious Leadership from the AIDS Pastoral Care Network in 1997. The Task Force has since become a resource for the entire Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. From 2001 until 2004, he served as board member of Chicago’s Alexian Brothers’ Bonaventure House, a premiere residential care facility for people living with HIV/AIDS.In August of 2005, Bishop-elect Demetri was honored with the Alexian Brothers AIDS Ministry 2005 Presidents Award.
Also, with an unyielding commitment to the sanctity of life, Bishop-elect Demetri works for justice and humanity in the prison system as a board member, and past two-term President (2003-2005) of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He has spoken and written extensively in support of abolition of the death penalty and has advocated extensively for individual death row inmates.
Bishop-elect Demetri is a regular contributor of editorials in local and national media outlets for issues concerning the Greek Orthodox Faith and Hellenic culture. He has also taken a leadership role in numerous Hellenic organizations and cultural events. In all of these, he has worked to instill a spirit of cooperation by all groups from the intertwined values of Christian Orthodoxy and 'ecumenical Hellenism'.
Bishop-elect Demetri has contributed to numerous publications including, but not limited to: Echoes From Calvary: Meditations on Franz Joseph Haydn's Seven Last Words of The Christ. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2005) edited by Richard Young; and The Revolution: A Field Manual for Changing Your World (Relevant Books, 2006) edited by Heather Zydek.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America,
New York
We inform your most beloved Eminence that following a dully executed election in the Most Sacred Patriarchal Church, the Reverend Archimandrite Demetrios Kantzavelos was elected unanimously assistant Bishop to the Holy Archdiocese of America, presently for the needs of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, with the high title of the once renown diocese of Mokissos. Congratulations.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Fanar, 30 October 2006.
The ancient Byzantine city of Mokissos (Μωκισσός now Viranșehir), is a city in western Cappadocia at the foot of the Hasan Dağ southeast of Koloneia. Justinian I rebuilt the ruined city, renamed Justinianoupolis (a name last attested in 692), and elevated it to the rank of ecclesiastical metropolis, with an eparchia that stretched south of the Halys River, the longest river of Asia Minor. The bishopric survived under its original name through the Byzantine period. The extensive site, which lies in a protected valley, today, contains the remains of nine churches, streets, and unidentified civic buildings.
An assistant bishop (also called titular or auxiliary bishop) is generally without his own territorial or residential diocese, who is assisting a senior bishop, with a large jurisdiction. The Episcopal title of a titular bishop is taken from an ancient diocese which once flourished but now exists only in name. Bishops are usually chosen from the ranks of the Archimandrites. In addition to the Archbishop, and the eight Metropolitans in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, there are three current assistant bishops. Bishop-elect Demetri will bring that number to four. He was elected unanimously assistant Bishop by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to the Holy Archdiocese of America, presently for the needs of the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, with the high title of the once renowned diocese of Mokissos.