Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
16:00 | 22.05.2021 Category: Social
Chisinau, 22 May /MOLDPRES/ - The Old-style Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker today. The Orthodox Church marks the holiday of Saint Nicholas twice a year. In winter, St, Nicholas is marked on 19 December and in spring – on 22 May.
Saint Nicholas was born in the second half of the III century AD in a family of pious people from Myra of Lycia – an area presently placed in Turkey. He turned from a simple clergyman into an archbishop of the Myra settlement of Lycia.
According to the Church books, Saint Hierarch Nicholas was one of the greatest saints of Christ’s Church.
He used to help poor people, received sinful people, defended the faith from heresies and persecutions of pagans. In 305 AD, Saint Nicolas was jailed and when Saint Constantine the Great got on the throne of the Byzantine Empire (305-335) and Christians were able to experience their faith freely, Saint Nicholas was set free.
It is unknown exactly the year when Saint Nicholas passed away; some sources show the year 340, while the others – 350. Due to the miracles he worked, Saint Nicholas is regarded as the defender of children, especially the poor ones, as well as of sailors, bakers, unmarried girls, people unfairly accused. In 1087, because of the Muslim expansion, his holy relics were transferred from Myra of Lycia to the Italian city of Bari, where they are preserved in a crypt under the Church dedicated to St. Nicolas in this settlement.
