![[St. Nicholas, Ecumenical Patriarchate]](con_72.jpg)
St. Nicholas from the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople |
The Apolytikion (Hymn) of St. NicholasAn example of the Faith and a life of humility, as a teacher of abstinence you did inspire and lead your flock, and through the truthfulness of your deeds were exalted by greatness, through your humility uplifting all and by poverty gaining wealth. Father and hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved. |
![[St. Nicholas, Greek]](nikola_s.gif) St. Nicholas, Greek. From the St. Isaac of Syria Skete site. |
Nicholas was the bishop of the Christian Church in the Asia Minor city of Myra (now Demre, Turkey) in the fourth century AD. He is beloved throughout the Orthodox Christian world for his kindness and help, both during his life and afterward. He is called "Wonderworker" (or "Miraculous" or "Miracle-Worker", Greek "thavmatourgos") for the miracles which he performed and which he still performs, by God's grace. Many accounts of Saint Nicholas are available, both elsewhere on the World-Wide Web and at this site. In the Protestant West, where the invocation of saints was suppressed, Saint Nicholas became popularly known as Santa Claus.
In accordance with early Christian tradition, saints are remembered in the Orthodox Church on the date of their passing from this life into the next. Saint Nicholas is thus remembered on December 6 (which corresponds to Dec 19 if the parish uses the Julian calendar). Orthodox Christianity maintains that even though people are dead according to this life, that they are alive in the spiritual realm, and continue to pray for us now. Our "prayers to the saints" are actually requests that they pray for us, much as we ask believers who are still alive in the flesh to pray for us.
The remains of St. Nicholas now repose principally in Bari, Italy, having been transported there in 1087 A.D. after Myra fell to Islamic invaders. A fragrant liquid called "myrrh" still exudes from the relics. Miracles are performed even today through the intercessions of St. Nicholas. Turkey also claims to possess bones of Saint Nicholas.
The sites referenced here contain much more information about Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. See below for introductory information on the sites, or go directly to the list of pages .
The OCA is an autocephalous (self-headed) Orthodox church in communion with the bulk of Orthodox Christianity. It was granted independence by the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate.
The Russian Orthodox Church was expressed in two primary parts for
many years
- one headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and the other administered by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. This split was precipitated by the difficulties of administering the far-flung missionary activity of the Russian church after the Bolshevik Revolution, and Communist government interference in the Church. By God's grace, this split has been repaired. See the Wikipedia article.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church is led by the Patriarch of Antioch, located in Damascus, Syria. The Carpatho-Rusyn (or Carpatho-Russian) is headquartered in Johnstown, Pennysylvania When Russia accepted Christianity over 1000 years ago, Russia was ruled from what is now Kiev, Ukraine. Ukraine has a long history of attachment to our great saint, Nicholas.
From the early days of Christianity and throughout the Church's history,
icons -- sacred paintings of sacred persons and holy scenes -- have been
teaching aids and objects of veneration. Icons of Saint Nicholas are numerous.
Every Orthodox Church that bears the name of Saint Nicholas has an icon of
the saint displayed prominently at the front of the nave on the ikonostasion
-- the icon screen, as seen in this view of the interior of Saint Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church, Jamaica Estates, NY. The icon of Saint Nicholas is the second to the left of the
center Royal Doors. The ikonostasion varies somewhat in Slavic (Russian, Serbian,
Bulgarian) usage in that St. Nicholas is frequently portrayed, regardless
of the patron of the church, reflecting their great devotion to Saint Nicholas.
See a Russian Orthodox
Iconostasis from The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist,
Washington, D.C as an example. The icon of Saint Nicholas is found at the bottom left,
with a lamp hanging in front of it. A great many pictures of icons are viewable, so many that the links to
them span several pages:
Antiochian Orthodox Church
American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese in the USA
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Orthodox Page
Icons
Saint Nicholas, revered as a saint, a bishop of a major city, and a real person by Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic and Roman Catholic Christians, entered into legend among the Protestants of Europe. Though reverence for the saints has deemphasized, neglected, despised, and even forbidden within Protestantism, the honoring of Saint Nicholas could not be suppressed. He emerged in the popular culture as Santa Claus , Saint Nick, Sinter Klaus, and other names. Always, he is a kindly man who gives gifts to others -- especially children -- during the Christmas season. Gradually, his gifts came to be given on Christmas eve rather than on the proper day for the celebration of Saint Nicholas, December 6.
One way to help spread the kindness of Saint Nicholas is to help the less fortunate during the Christmas season. Find a local charity and pitch in!
These are the pages maintained on this site. Rather than wading through text, you may browse directly.
Return to the St. Nicholas Page.
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Last modified January 2, 2015, Sylvester, Pope of Rome
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