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Metropolitan '''Metropolitan Christopher (Kovacevich) of Libertyville and Chicago''' of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]], was a native Metropolitan of the Metropolitanate of Galveston, Texas, one Libertyville-Chicago and Primate of 12 children born the Serbian Orthodox in America from 1991 to Serbian immigrant parents2010. He attended Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, WI and graduated from Saint Sava Seminary, Libertyville, IL. After marriage, he was ordained to also the first American-born [[diaconatebishop]] and to serve a [[priestdiocese]]hood. He subsequently earned a B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Divinity from [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology]], Brookline, MA. He also completed courses and examinations for a doctorate at the Chicago Theological SeminarySerbian Church in North America.

While ministering ==Life==Velimir P. Kovacevich, one of twelve children, was born on [[December 25]], 1928 in Galveston, Texas to parishes Petar and Rista Kovacevich who had emigrated from Montenegro. Velimir grew up in Pennsylvania Galveston and Chicago, he served as chaplain an [[Acolyte|altar boy]] at four universities. He assisted his parishes to become bilingual in their worship and education programs. At the same time, he was active in the defense one of unity and canonical order in the oldest Serbian Orthodox Church during a period of schism[[parish]]s in North America. As a priestAfter graduating from high school in 1945, he served as spiritual father, counselor, youth worker, administrator, educatorVelimir attended Nashotah House [[Seminary]] in Nashotah, Wisconsin before entering and above all, in priestly ministry at graduating from the holy altarnewly established St. Widowed Sava Seminary in 1970Libertyville, Illinois, where he is the father was a student of four and the grandfather of ninelate Bishop [[Nikolai Velimirovic|Nicolai Velimirovich]].

Elevated to the episcopate in 1978 by the Assembly of Bishops in Belgrade and tonsured with After graduating from the monastic name Christopherseminary, he became Velimir moved to Ohio to attend the first American-born bishop to serve a diocese University of the Serbian Church in North AmericaAkron. As Bishop of Eastern America and Canada, There he developed a diocesan-wide program in religious education. Active in ecumenism, met Milka Raicevich who he has served married on the joint commission of Orthodox and [[Roman CatholicSeptember 20]] bishops and on the Orthodox-Lutheran dialogue, and has represented his Church at high levels in both 1951. On the National and following [[World Council of Churches|World Councils of ChurchesNovember 25]]. In 1991, he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of the Midwestern Diocese of his Church, thereby becoming its [[Primateordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]]. He was named Metropolitan of Libertyville and Chicago. In May 2010in Clairton, Pennsylvania, he served followed a week later with his ordination as secretary of the a [[Episcopal Assembly of North priest]] and Central Americainstallation at his first [[parish]], St. Nicholas Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. While in Johnstown, Petar and Paul were born to Fr. Velimir and Milka.

At Fr. Velimir subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Divinity from [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology]], Brookline, Massachusetts. He also completed courses and examinations for a doctorate at the Chicago Theological Seminary. In 1954, Fr. Velimir was appointed priest at St. Sava Church in Pittsburgh. There, his daughter Valerie and son Velimer were born. In 1962, Fr. Velimir and his family moved to Chicago where he became the priest at St. Archangel Michael Church. In 1960, he received the award of the red sash, and on Christmas Day in 1964, Bishop [[Fermilian (Ocokoljich) of Midwestern America|Firmilian]] elevated him to the rank of [[Archpriest|Protopresbyter]]. In 1970, Fr. Velimir was widowed when Milka passed away at the early age of 8240. Elevated to the episcopate in 1978 by the Assembly of Bishops of the [[Church of Serbia]] in Belgrade and [[tonsure]]d with the [[monasticism|monastic]] name Christopher, he became the first American-born bishop to serve a diocese of the Serbian Church in North America. As Bishop of Eastern America and Canada, he developed a diocesan-wide program in religious education. Active in ecumenism, he has served on the joint commission of Orthodox and [[Roman Catholic]] bishops and on the Orthodox-Lutheran dialogue, and represented his Church at high levels in both the National and World Councils of Churches.  In 1991, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Church of Serbia elevated the Midwest Diocese to the status of the Metropolitanate of Midwestern America and elevated Bishop Christopher to the rank of Metropolitan and Primate of the Serbian Orthodox in America as Metropolitan of Libertyville and Chicago. In 2009, after being diagnosed the Serbian diocese in the United States and Canada were restructured and the Metropolitanate of Midwestern America became the Metropolitanate of Libertyville-Chicago with bone his [[see]] at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery.  Metr. Christopher also served as Dean of the [[St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Seminary (Libertyville, Illinois)|St. Sava Orthodox School of Theology]], which was re-established in 1986. He was instrumental in getting Illinois State Board of Higher Education recognition for the school and brain cancerthe authority to confer a Bachelor of Divinity Degree. The school, His Eminence fell alseep located in Libertyville, Illinois, is collocated with the St. Sava Monastery. In May 2010, Metr. Christopher served as secretary of the [[Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America|North American Episcopal Assembly of the Lord on Orthodox Church]]. On [[August 18]], 2010, at the age of 81 and on the eve of the Great [[Transfiguration|Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord]] according to the [[Julian Calendar]], Metr. Christopher fell asleep in the Lord after being diagnosed with bone and brain cancer. He was buried at St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville. {{start box}}{{succession|before=—|title=Bishop of Eastern America and Canada|years=1978-1991|after=—}}{{succession|before=—|title=Metropolitan of Libertyville and Chicago|years=1991-2010|after=?}}{{end box}}  ==External links==*[http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000028888&a=obit In Remembrance Metropolitan Christopher Kovacevich]*[[Wikipedia: Christopher_Kovacevich]]