St Michael's Orthodox Church in Dunedin overflows as people gather to farewell the Very Rev Father Ilyan Eades yesterday. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Fr Ilyan, who served the parish of St Michael's Orthodox Church for 18 years, died last Thursday, aged 63.
Church leaders from several denominations joined Metropolitan Archbishop Paul Saliba, from Sydney, at the three-hour service, which included a Eucharist in the morning.
Gillions Funeral Services funeral director John Kirkpatrick said the service was conducted in Russian, Arabic, Greek and English.
The Orthodox funeral was special, as it involved a priest, he said.
Fr Ilyan served all Orthodox Christians in Otago, as St Michael's was the only Orthodox church in the province.
He also worked for IHC, caring for people with intellectual disabilities.
