Nectarius of Radonezh

Venerable Nectarius of Radonezh (Nectarius the Messenger), a monk of the Trinity monastery, brought on 7 September 1380, on the eve of the battle of Kulikovo, to the camp of the Russian armies on the river Don the letter of Venerable Sergius. This document is spoken of in the Longer Redaction of the Tale of the Battle on the Don. "Terrible was the army brought by Mamai to the battle," wrote E. E. Golubinsky, "but in that hard hour Nectarius the Messenger brought to the field of battle the blessed letter of Venerable Sergius, in which there were these words addressed to the grand prince Demetrius: 'My lord, enter boldly into battle with the fierce enemy, without doubting or fearing him, God's help will be with you in all things.'" According to church tradition, the monk Nectarius also gave the grand prince the prosphora of the Mother of God sent by Venerable Sergius. The letter and gift of the venerable one heartened the grand prince and all the Russian soldiers. By the prayers of Venerable Sergius the Lord gave the Russian army the victory, which began the deliverance of our land from the hated yoke of the Horde.

Venerable Nectarius is buried in the Trinity-⁠Sergius monastery. His image is on a miniature of the Illustrated Life of Venerable Sergius of the end of the sixteenth century ("The appearance of the messenger with a letter from the saint"). He reposed in the fourteenth century. His memory is kept on 29 November (old style), 12 December, and on 6 July (old style), 19 July, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Radonezh, in the new style; on 5 September, a movable day, he is commemorated with the Synaxis of the Saints of Moscow.