Dallas, February 5, 2020
Photo: oca.org The Diocese of the South is widely recognized as perhaps the most dynamic in the Orthodox Church in America. The growth and vibrancy of the diocese is often attributed to the labors of His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri (Royster), of thrice-blessed memory.
Abp. Dmitri’s confidant and friend, and long-time treasurer of the diocese, Milos Konjevich, also played a pivotal role in helping many parishes get off the ground, build their churches, and grow.
On Sunday, February 2, the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Milos, beloved throughout the Diocese of the South, reposed in the Lord, reports the Orthodox Church in America.
His funeral will be served today, February 5, at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas. He will be buried at the Orthodox Garden at Restland Memorial Park, also in Dallas.
According to the OCA report, Milos “work[ed] side by side, with His Eminence, the late Archbishop Dmitri to establish missions, build churches, and support priests.” He served as treasurer of the Diocese of the South from 1994 to early 2016, and the St. Seraphim Cathedral was built and adorned with iconography under his leadership. The OCA Diocese of the South notes that the financial plan he developed for the cathedral then served as a blueprint for assisting in construction projects and land acquisitions throughout the diocese.
He also served the OCA as a member of the Pension Board from 1993-2002 and as a member of the Investment Board from 2003-2006.
He was awarded the Order of St. Innocent in 2001 for his dedicated service to the OCA.
The Diocese of the South writes of him:
His financial plan for the Diocese of the South reiterated the tithe as the basis of parish and diocesan support, and focused on mission planting, parish development, and clergy support. He was Archbishop Dmitri's closest confidant for many years, an indefatigable champion of parish priests and parish councils (encouraging them to "build the temple"), and (without exaggeration) a key to the growth of the Diocese of the South in the early 00's up to the present. He will be missed. May his memory be eternal, and may his soul dwell with the blessed!
A warm tribute to Milos on the Monomakhos blog writes of his labors:
It was not unknown for Milos to drive several hours on his own to visit a newly-established church just to drop by, unannounced, to see how things were going. He didn’t rely only on reports, he was a really hands-on kind of guy. I can remember at least a few times when I would go early to church, go to the pangari for my candle and see Milos already standing in the Nave, participating in the liturgy.
And it showed. When the Diocese of the South was created in 1978, there were barely a dozen churches and missions. Thanks to Milos and his willingness to travel to and fro, the South exploded: today there are over seventy churches and missions.
May Milos’ memory be eternal!
