Nikolai Velimirovic
| Saint Nikolaj Velimirović | |
|---|---|
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| Holy bishop | |
| Born | 4 January 1881 Lelić, Valjevo, Serbia |
| Died | 18 March 1956 (aged 75) South Canaan Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Canonized | 24 May 2003 by Serbian Orthodox Church |
| Major shrine | Ćelije monastery, Serbia |
| Feast | 3 May |
| Attributes | Vested as a bishop |
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich of Ohrid and Žiča or Nikolaj Velimirović (Serbian Cyrillic: Николај Велимировић; 4 January 1881 [O.S. 23 December 1880] – 18 March [O.S. 5 March] 1956) was bishop of the eparchies of Ohrid and Žiča (1920-1956) in the Serbian Orthodox Church, an influential theological writer and a highly gifted orator, known as The New Chrysostom.
His birth name was Nikola. As a young man, he came close to dying of dysentery, and decided that he would dedicate his life to God if he survived. Survive he did, and was tonsured as a monk under the name Nikolaj. He was ordained into the clergy, and quickly became an important leader and spokesperson for the Serbian Orthodox Church, especially in its relations with the West. When the Germans occupied Yugoslavia in World War II, Velimirović was imprisoned and eventually taken to Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
After being liberated by the Allies at the end of the war, he chose not to return to Yugoslavia (which had a Communist government by that time). He moved to the United States in 1946, where he remained until his death in 1956. He strongly supported the unity of all Orthodox churches and established particularly good relationships with the Anglican and Episcopal Church.
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