monastery musings
A Contemporary Account of Saint Nicholas in China
Ο Άγιος Νικόλαος στην Κίνα
From Δεικτες Πορειας, a collection of sermons and writings by Meletios, Metropolitan of Nikopoleos (+2012), published by the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elias, 2019, Preveza, Greece. This passage he had translated from Russian into Greek.
Translated for the Queen of All Skete into English by Gerontissa Theonymphe, Παναγιοπουλα Μετοχι (Panagiopoula Μετochi), Corfu, Greece
There beside the Pasing River in China are the ruins of a church which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. According to tradition the church was built by the Chinese, who also officiated there. Every year on the 6th of December, there is a large celebration continuing until today. How can this be when the Chinese are not Christians? Only a very few Chinese are Christians, yet they show such respect to Saint Nicholas.
Tradition has it that years …