“YOU’LL NEVER SEE A GUY LIKE THAT AGAIN”—

On March 28, 2024, at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, the Fourth Annual Lecture on the Holy Bishop Nicholai of Zhicha and Ochrid, and South Canaan was presented. Present among the many who came to hear the lecture were His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey (OCA) and His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

In 2021, St. Tikhon’s Seminary, initiated by its Dean Archpriest John Parker, launched an annual series of talks dedicated to St. Nicholai (Velimirovich). The first lecture was given by His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who wrote his graduate thesis at St. Tikhon’s Seminary on the final years of Bishop Nicholai’s life 1951-1956.

St. Nicholai is one of the greatest saints of the 20th century. Known as the New Chrysostom for his penetrating preaching, St. Nicholai brought much comfort to the suffering Serbian Church during the years of the Second World War. He too suffered, being imprisoned for two years at the Dachau concentration camp. 

St. Nicholai also served the Church in America, living at St. Tikhon’s Monastery from 1951 until 1956 and teaching at the seminary, for which he served as rector in the 1955-1956 school year. It was in the St. Tikhon’s Seminary building that this giant of Orthodoxy reposed on March 18, 1956, under suspect circumstances. The seminary chapel is dedicated to his memory. 

The deeply personal and lively lecture was offered by Protopresbyter Dr Yaroslav Sudick, a priest of 65 years, who was close to St. Nicholai during his time as a seminarian at St. Tikhon’s. “You’ll never see a guy like that again. There’s only one,” Fr. Yaroslav stated. Among the many anecdotes which he enumerated, many of them spoke of the intuitive nature and foresight of this great man of prayer. It was clear that when the then new student Yaroslav entered the monastery church for the first time, Nicholai spoke to him already knowing him without having met him previously.

It was noteworthy that Fr Yaroslav, who served as a typist and personal attendant to the holy Bishop, spoke of two miracles that the Saint had enacted during his lifetime. One was at the seminary when he blessed the contaminated water well, which to the surprise of the inspectors was completely clean when they arrived after a couple of days. Responding to their disbelief, Nicholai simply questioned their doubt.

The other was relayed to him by a Jewish man, whom he had encountered in Israel. Upon learning that Fr Yaroslav was an Orthodox Christian cleric, he told him of how he was incarcerated in Dachau and was falling into such a depression that he was prepared to commit suicide. He mentioned how he envied the Orthodox Christians, who were always singing. Then an elderly gentleman walked up to him simply looked at him and changed his life by simply stating, “Don’t worry, this too shall pass!” Fr Yaroslav knew immediately that this was Nicholai, as he was a prisoner in Dachau and the saying was characteristically his way of dismissing unnecessary agony.

Last year’s recollections were offered by Fr. Daniel Geeza, who also knew St. Nicholai during his time at the seminary, placing his life into the context of the then seminary.

In 2022, Protinica Olga Sokich gave a most remarkable account of Bishop Nicholai at St. Sava Cathedral in New York City. She, too, spoke of his intuitive nature. He was the one who introduced her to her husband to be and his future secretary, Dragoljub Sokich, later Protopresbyter.

May the living memory of the holy Bishop continue to inspire future generations of faculty, staff and students at St. Tikhon’s Seminary and bless those who keep his holy memory alive.

Based on orthodoxchristian.com