Chicago, March 19, 2018
Photo: Romfea The vacant See of Chicago of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) was officially filled on Saturday, with the consecration of Archimandrite Nathanael (Symeonides) to the episcopate at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral on Saturday, reports Romfea.
The consecration was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, with the concelebration of other members of the Holy Epharchial Synod and other hierarchs from around the world, according to the GOARCH website.
The consecration was celebrated with great solemnity in the presence of numerous believers from New York, Chicago, and other regions of America, and Greece.
Archim. Nathanael was unanimously elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 7. The Chicago See had been vacant since His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago fell asleep in the Lord on June 2 at the age of 89.
***
Met. Nathanel was born in Thessaloniki in 1978. He graduated from both Hellenic College and Holy Cross Seminary in Boston, then receiving his Ph.D. in Theology in 2007 from Boston University, as well as Columbia University, where he specialized in the history and ethics of public health. He has taught as a visiting professor of Ethics and Bioethics at Fordham University and Holy Cross and St. Vladimir’s Seminaries, and has published several articles on theology and bioethics.
He was ordained to the diaconate in 2003, serving as the deacon to the archbishop from 2006-2010, and to the priesthood in 2010 by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He served as the pastor of Holy Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in New York City from 2010-2013. His pastoral ministry has included the development of the “Orthodox Professionals in Action” pastoral organization, which has given more than 400 young Manhattan professionals the opportunity to work with the most vulnerable people in the area and make a difference in their lives.
He was appointed the director of Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in September 2013 and developed the Archdiocese’s relations with many religious organizations and permanent representatives of the United Nations. He also organized the academic conference “Orthodoxy and Humanism: Ideas and Actions in the Modern World,” which gathered experts from around the world to discuss how the Church can help in humanitarian crises and promote sustainable development in the aftermath of crises.
