On Sunday, July 16, 2017, His Beatitude Irinej, the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church presided the ceremonies of the local proclamation of the canonization of St. Mardarije of Libertyville and Chicago. The religious service was officiated at St. Sava Monastery of Libertyville where his holy relics are. His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae participated at the event together with other orthodox hierarchs from Serbia and USA.

The events dedicated to the canonization started on Friday, July 14, 2017 at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Cathedral of Chicago with a symposium about St. Mardarije. On July 15, 2017 the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by several hierarchs at the monastery of Lake Villa, IL. On the day of proclamation, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Patriarch of Serbia along with a group of bishops.

St. Mardarije was born in village of Kornet, in Montenegro, on November 2, 1889, and was baptized in his village church dedicated to St. George and received his baptismal name Ivan. His mother was from the well-known Bozovic family. Young Ivan was sent to further his education, first in Rijeka Crnojevic, Cetinje, Montenegro, and then in Belgrade, Serbia. While in Belgrade, young Ivan headed to monastery Studenica where after a short period of novice life he gets tonsured to monasticism having received the name Mardarije. With the decision of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, now young hierodeacon Mardarije is sent to Russia in 1905 furthering his theological education until 1917. Between 1908 and 1912 he studied at the Theological Seminary of Chisinau, Moldavia.

On December 1, 1923, now archimandrite Mardarije is appointed as administrator of the Serbian American-Canadian diocese with the see in Chicago and that same year he purchased a property in Libertyville, Illinois, where later St. Sava monastery was built. He was elected by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church as the first bishop for the newly established Diocese in America on December 7, 1925. His consecration took place on Palm Sunday, the Feast of the Entrance of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, on April 25, 1926.

From then on His Grace Bishop Mardarije, the first bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, labored tirelessly in building churches, sowing Christian love, spread peace, preached and witnessed the Gospel of Christ throughout his Diocese. Having labored as bishop for almost ten years he died peacefully on December 12, 1935, hospitalized in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while writing his last Nativity Encyclical to his beloved flock. His earthly remains were laid to rest at St. Sava monastery in Libertyville.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church during its regular session held from May 14-29, 2015 brought forth a decision that his name be added to the Diptych of saints of the Holy Orthodox Church.

On Monday, July 17, 2017 His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae served the Divine Liturgy together with His Beatitude Patriarch Irinej at the Holy Protection of the Mother of God Russian Cathedral of Des Plaines, IL on the occasion of the commemoration of the Bolshevik Revolution martyrs from 1917.