Nikephoros of Chios

Venerable Nikephoros of Chios was a hieromonk and spiritual writer, the spiritual disciple of Saint Macarius of Corinth. He was born around 1750 at Kardamyla, in the north-⁠east of the island of Chios, and died probably in the summer of 1821. He was regarded as a saint already in his lifetime, for the holiness of his life and character. His commemoration is on 1 May. Our sources give no act of canonization.

As a child he fell gravely ill with a contagious disease, and his parents vowed that if he recovered they would give him as a monk to Nea Moni. He recovered and became a monk, studying at the famous school of Chios. His mentors were Father Neophytos Kafsokalyvitis, Father Athanasios of Paros and Saint Macarius of Corinth. He was ordained and elected abbot of Nea Moni. The greatest influence on his life was Saint Macarius of Corinth (17 April), whom he met even before he met Athanasios. Macarius was at Chios in 1780, left for a time, then returned in 1790. Nikephoros saw Macarius often and learned much from him. He also met Saint Athanasios of Paros (24 June), who was the director of the school in the city of Chios.

He taught and wrote on Chios, leading a life of spiritual endeavour there. He loved Chios as his fatherland and as a place where piety and learning flourished, and for this reason, and because no occasion arose for him to leave the island, he remained within its confines throughout his life. After leaving the monastery he lived in a hermitage, Resta. He died in a home near the church of Saint Paraskeve, where he sometimes stayed overnight when he was unable to return to Resta. His body was brought to Resta and placed in a grave where Saint Athanasios of Paros and the monk Nilus had once been buried. The holy relics of Saint Nikephoros were uncovered in 1845 and brought to the metropolitan church of Chios. Many years later the Guild of Tanners asked for the relics and placed them in the church of Saint George in Resta, where they remain. In 1907 an icon of Saint Nikephoros was painted and a service was composed in his honour. One year after his death Chios was devastated by the Turks. The day of 1 May, set as his feast, is not that of his death, which was, by all signs, in the summer of 1821.

In 1805, on his deathbed, Saint Macarius asked Nikephoros to finish his book The New Leimonarion and see that it was published. It contains the lives and services of various martyrs, ascetics and other saints. Three saints collaborated in its compilation: Macarius, Nikephoros and Athanasios of Paros.