Today, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the translation of St. Nicholas’ relics. In 1071, Robert Guiscard, a Norman warlord, captured the southern Italian city of Bari from the Byzantines. In 1087, the merchants from Bari went to Antioch, intending to stop at Myra in Lycia on the way back to pick up the relics of one of the most beloved Christian saints in order to increase the prestige of their city and stimulate trade. The Venetians competed with the Barians, who would first arrive in Myra, a city in Asia Minor. The forty-seven Barians arrived first. Armed, they went to the temple of St. Nicholas. There, they tied up the monks guarding the shrine, broke the church platform under which the tomb stood, and removed most of the saint's relics from the sarcophagus, hastily leaving behind about 20% of the relics, which the Venetians later took. On May 8, the ships arrived in Bari. The next day, May 9, the relics of St. Nicholas were solemnly transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, located not far from the sea. The celebration of the shrine's transfer was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings of the sick, which aroused even greater reverence for the great saint of God. A year later, a church was built in the name of St. Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II. The transfer of St. Nicolas’ relics became one of the most well-documented events of this type in history. On this day, all men and women who were on that ship are commemorated (as it was intended, St. Nicholas continues providing for the residents of this city through a constant influx of pilgrims.) The Dominicans produced myrrh on this day, and thus, myrrh is diluted in Roman Catholic holy water and given to pilgrims. The Normans built the Basilica of St. Nicholas, which Pope Urban II consecrated in 1098. In 1095, he preached his famous sermon there, marking the beginning of the First Crusade. Understandably, the Greek Orthodox don’t celebrate this event. However, in Russia, the first praise for the translation of the relics appeared in Kiev as early as the beginning of the twelfth century. Source: A.A.Korolev, Nikolai, Pravoslavanaia Entsiklopedia. |
