Isaiah (Chronopoulos) of Denver

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah (Chronopoulos) of Denver is the ruling hierarch of the Metropolis of Denver, a metropolis within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America covering a twelve-state region (and parts of two others) in the Intermountain Region of the United States.

Life

Metr. Isaiah was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, one of four children of Dennis and Mary (Kapsimalis) Chronopoulos, who had immigrated to the United States from Olympia, Greece. After completing his pre-college education, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served with distinction during the Korean War. Returning from his military service, he enrolled during the autumn of 1954 at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts from which he graduated in 1960. He, then, continued with graduate studies at the Theological School of Halki.

On February 25, 1962, Metr. Isaiah was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Iakovos at St. Spyridon Church in San Diego, California, following his tonsure as a monk the previous day. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Demetrios (Makris) of Olympus at St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles, California, on March 18, 1962.

Fr. Isaiah's first assignment was as assistant priest of Holy Trinity Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. In December 1964, he was assigned as priest at St. John the Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio. On November 30, 1969, he was raised to the dignity of archimandrite by Abp. Iakovos at the consecration services of the new church and community center in Youngstown. In August 1971, Fr. Isaiah assigned to the Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology by Abp. Iakovos as the Director of Student Life.

In February 1975, Fr. Isaiah took a leave of absence from his duties at Holy Trinity to enroll at the School of Theology at the University of Thessaloniki, as a graduate student, to fulfill requirements for his master's degree in theology which he did that July. He returned to the United States to continue in his responsibilities as Dean of Students.

In September 1976, Fr. Isaiah was appointed Dean of Administrative Affairs, at Holy Cross concurrent with his position as Dean of Students. In October 1977, he was assigned further duties as the interim priest at St. Nicholas Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In March 1979, Fr. Isaiah was transferred to the Diocese of Chicago to serve under His Grace, Bishop Iakovos of Chicago as Chancellor of the diocese.

On April 10, 1986, Archim. Isaiah was elected to the episcopacy by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey. He was consecrated bishop on May 25, 1986, at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City, and was given the title of Bishop of Aspendos. In September 1986, Abp. Iakovos appointed Bp. Isaiah Chancellor of the Archdiocese in New York, a position he held until June 23, 1992 when he was elected Bishop of Denver by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and received his new title in a special ceremony on June 24, 1992 in the Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Paul. He was enthroned as Bishop of Denver on September 10, 1992, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Denver, Colorado.

In 1996, the Archdiocese of North and South America was reorganized with the formation of the Archdiocese of America and re-designations of the dioceses as metropolises. On November 24, 1997, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated Bp. Isaiah to Metropolitan of Proikonisos and Presiding Hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Denver.

On July 1, 1997, Metr. Isaiah was also appointed President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology by Abp. Spyridon of America for a one-year term which ended on August 14, 1998.

On December 20, 2002, the Ecumenical Patriarchate changed the status of the diocese to that of metropolis, that resulted in a change in 2003 of Metr, Isaiah's title to Metropolitan of Denver.

Succession box: Isaiah (Chronopoulos) of Denver
Preceded by: Kallistos (Samaras)	Bishop of Aspendos 1986-1992	Succeeded by: Jeremias of Curitiba
Preceded by: Kallistos (Samaras)	Metropolitan of Denver 1992-present	Succeeded by: —

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Source

• Biography of His Eminence, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

External link

• Listing at the Orthodox Research Institute