Nectarios of Meteora

Venerable Nectarios of Meteora, founder, was born at the end of the fifteenth century, brother in the flesh of Venerable Theophanes, both of the noble Apsaras family of Ioannina, and received an excellent education. Renouncing the illusions and false glory of this world, Nectarios and Theophanes became monks under the guidance of a holy elder, Sabbas (commemorated on 3 February), on one of the islands of Lake Ioannina. The guide taught them the foundations of ascetic life, and for the rest of their lives they did not spare the flesh and never relaxed the strictness: they never used oil, often ate only on alternate days, and Theophanes wore heavy chains on his body to the end. After a time they were found worthy of ordination to the priesthood.

After ten years the elder departed to the Lord. The brothers felt orphaned and set out for the Holy Mountain of Athos, where they came to the monastery of Dionysiou, renowned for its strictness, to speak with the holy patriarch Niphon (commemorated on 11/24 August). He advised Nectarios and Theophanes to return to their solitude and live according to the elder's testament. But on their return they learned that the lay patrons of the monastery were demanding payment for rights of ownership. Wishing to keep their spiritual peace and avoid litigation, the brothers chose to give up their just rights and went into the depths of the island to found a new monastery. They built two churches: one dedicated to the Forerunner of the Lord, the other to Saint Nicholas (1507). Near the latter settled three of their sisters, and other relatives, to lead an angelic life. But even there, at the prompting of the enemy of the human race, the local church and secular authorities constantly troubled the ascetics, although the brothers had received from the patriarch all rights to found an independent monastery in that place. Remembering the counsel of Saint Niphon, who once told them, "If an obstacle arises, do not resist, but flee from that place and find another where you can live in peace," they resolved once more to leave all that they had built with heavy toil, great expense and love of quiet. The ascetics set out for Thessaly, the greatest monastic centre of the time, Meteora.

With the permission of the abbot of the Transfiguration monastery they spent seven years in one of the eagle's nests on the rock called the "pillar of the Forerunner". Then, in 1518, the brothers went to live on the inaccessible rock of Barlaam, where once a monk of that name had built the church of the Three Hierarchs, which in time fell into ruin. The brothers restored it and began an ascetic life. Soon their piety drew many monks. The community quickly grew to thirty members, so that they had to build a new church, in the name of All Saints. The brothers took care to raise other buildings needed for the hermit life and tried to organize farming, so that the monks, free of worries, could show zeal in the service of the Lord. Saints Nectarios and Theophanes guided the monks to the perfection of the soul both by word and by their own example.

Reaching the end of their earthly path, they left an account of their life and a testament in which they called the monks to be united like the parts of one body and to compete with each other only in zeal and steadfastness. When on 17 May 1544 the building of the church was finished, Theophanes, gravely ill the last ten months, ordered himself carried there, to see with his own eyes the results of his labours. He glorified the Lord, blessed the brotherhood and the builders, then returned to his cell and prepared for death. As the monks sang the canon for the departure of the soul, a bright star shone in the sky, and as soon as Saint Theophanes gave up his soul to God, the star vanished. Saint Nectarios reposed on 7 April 1550. He is commemorated on 30 May, according to the Greek calendar.