CHICAGO, March 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greek
Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago is
honored today to hold an Enthronement Ceremony to install the Greek
Orthodox Metropolitan of Chicago Nathanael Symeonides. This
historic ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.
Saturday at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1017
North LaSalle Drive in Chicago.
"Today marks a new day for the Holy Metropolis of Chicago, a new day focused on unity in service
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And to cultivate greater unity
and trust among us, we will emphasize fundamental Christian principles of governance and
administration, including accountability and transparency,"
Metropolitan Nathanael will say, according to his prepared
remarks.
"I will do all that I can to open those doors that were once
shut and be inclusive of everyone in the work of the
Church—especially those who were once ignored or marginalized. I
beseech each of you to get involved so that together we can serve
as God's left and right hands, thus sharing His hope and love with
the world. As I have in my prior ministries, I intend to continue
actively working in the community to help those in greatest need,
and I will expect the same of our clergy. We must extend the love
of God beyond the walls of our churches and into society,
particularly to those in greatest need of that love."
"As your Metropolitan and father, I
wholeheartedly accept the awesome responsibility and obligation to
lead you closer to Christ. It is not adequate when we only focus on
finances, administration and on social ties. We must simultaneously
pay attention to our spirituality. I do not forget that the primary
task of every hierarch is the salvation of souls."
Last month, following the recommendation of His All-Holiness
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, members of the Holy and Sacred
Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul unanimously cast their votes for
Metropolitan Nathanael. He was ordained a bishop of the Church with
the title Metropolitan Chicago on Saturday,
March 17 in New York City.
His formal installation and Enthronement marks a new era for
Chicago's Greek Orthodox
community, one of the largest in the nation.
Born in Thessaloniki, Greece in
1978, Metropolitan Nathanael is the third child of Irene and Vasilios Symeonides. He is graduate of
Hellenic College (BA, 2000) and of Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (MDiv, 2003). He also
earned an STM (2003) and a ThD (2007) in Bioethics from
Boston University. Metropolitan
Nathanael has also studied the history and ethics of public health
at Columbia University Mailman School
of Public Health. He is a guest professor of Christian ethics and bioethics at Fordham University, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology, and Saint Vladimir Theological School. He has
authored numerous articles in theology and bioethics and served as
Director of the Archdiocesan Committee on Science and Technology
(AACST).
Metropolitan Nathanael was ordained a Deacon in 2003 and a
Presbyter in 2010. His ecclesial and pastoral work includes service
as the Deacon to Metropolitan Methodios (2003-2006); Deacon to the
Archbishop (2006-2010); Pastor of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox
Church, NY (2010-2013). During his time as a parish priest, he
developed an urban ministry, Orthodox Professionals in Action
(OPA), which harnessed the gifts and talents of more than 400 young
professionals of Manhattan,
offering them opportunities to create meaningful change in the
lives of those most vulnerable in society. He also served the
pastoral needs of the Holy Resurrection Church of Brookville, NY and the Saints Constantine and
Helen Cathedral of Brooklyn,
NY.
In September 2013 he was appointed
Director of the Office of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith
Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. In that
position, he managed and directed the relationships between the
Archdiocese and numerous religious organizations, think tanks,
non-governmental organizations, and Permanent Missions to the
United Nations. As the Director of the Department, Metropolitan
Nathanael was best known for promoting cooperation and inclusivity.
In 2015, His Eminence coordinated the Archdiocesan commemoration of
the 50th Anniversary of the March on Selma, and represented the Archdiocese on the
National Council of Churches (NCC) Special Task Force to End Racism
in America.
More recently, he convened a colloquium entitled, Orthodoxy
and Humanitarianism: Ideas and Action in the Contemporary World,
which provided experts from around the world the opportunity to
meet and consider ways in which the Church may help respond to
humanitarian crises and promote sustainable development in
post-crisis regions.
Metropolitan Nathanael became Metropolitan of Chicago following nearly four decades of
leadership by Metropolitan Iakovos, who fell asleep in the Lord on
June 2, 2017. The Metropolis of Chicago oversees all Greek Orthodox Parishes
within Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota as well as eastern Missouri and northwestern Indiana.
While the Enthronement Ceremony is open to the public, large
crowds are anticipated and limited seating in the cathedral in
reserved. A brief media availability with Metropolitan Nathanael
will be held at the cathedral immediately following the
Enthronement Ceremony.
Livestream of the enthronement ceremony can be viewed here:
https://annunciationcathedralchicago.org/video
Contact: Mark Spencer
Phone: (312) 945-6806
Email: mark.spencer@wyecomm.com
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SOURCE Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago