Dr Augustin Sokolovski
On May 14, the Church commemorates Saint Nikephoros of Chios (1750–1821). The saint became renowned as an ascetic, teacher, missionary, educator, and philanthropist. He was a hieromonk, abbot of a monastery, and the author of liturgical services, collections of sermons, and hagiographies. Nikephoros maintained spiritual communion and collaboration with prominent elders and spiritual teachers of his time, including Macarius of Corinth and Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain. His entire life is connected with the churches and monasteries of his native island Chios.
He instructed his spiritual children to plant as many trees as possible, for he believed that they would serve as a source of prosperity for the surrounding villages and, in God’s eyes, help atone for sins committed. This touching detail links Saint Nikephoros to the great ascetic saints of late antiquity, who, like Isaac the Syrian, had compassion even for the worms of the earth, viewed nature with a gaze that was both protective and compassionate, and saw the world through the eyes of the Merciful God.
Unlike the Russian Church, where the term “New Martyrs” is used primarily to refer to saints who suffered during the period of Bolshevik persecution, in the Greek Churches, the term “New Martyrs” is applied to saints who, having been Muslims by birth or by renouncing the Orthodox faith, returned to the Church through open confession.
Saint Nikephoros’ particular boldness lay in his efforts to provide spiritual guidance to the new martyrs of the Greek Church, which consisted of persuading and strengthening those who had previously renounced the Orthodox faith and converted to Islam out of fear or self-interest, to return to the Church through a public confession before the Ottoman authorities. Tragically, the latter regarded this as apostasy and sentenced the confessors to death. Among Father Nikephoros’ spiritual children were the venerated Greek New Martyrs Mark of Smyrna (d. 1801), Demetrius of the Peloponnese (d. 1803), and Angelis of Chios (d. 1813).
The exact date of Saint Nikephoros’ peaceful passing is unknown; his feast day was established as May 1, 1821. His veneration as a saint began almost immediately after his departure from this world. Saint Nikephoros, pray to God for us; together with you, we proclaim—we on earth, you in heaven—Christ is Risen!