The Celebration of the Patron Saint Day in the St. Nicholas Orthodox Monastery in Fort Myers, Fl

The Monastery of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Fort Myers was founded in 1978 by the Elder John Lewis.

It is the oldest Orthodox monastery in the state of Florida. The monastery is unique and famous for its collection of relics, the largest in America, that over the course of decades Fr. John gathered. Through his efforts the monastery at present contains the relics of more than 600 Saints. Among them are the relics of St. Nicholas and locally appeared venerated icon of St. Nicholas. The incorruptible relics of the Elder John, the Florida great Elder are also resting in the Monastery’s church.

On December 19 (6), the day the church celebrates the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, with the blessing of His Grace Alexander Bishop-elect of Nicopolis, who is also the Vicar of the Slavic Vicariate and the Hegumen of St. Nicholas Monastery, the Divine Liturgy was led by Archpriest Vasyl Babych, a cleric of the Vicariate, with Archpriest Eduard Chervinskiy, a cleric of the Holy Theotokos Protection Hermitage in Buena Vista, New Jersey, co-serving him. Despite the workday, many faithful came to the monastery to take part in the festive service, pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and receive the Holy Communion. Addressing everyone present with a sermon, Fr. Eduard briefly spoke about the life and miracles of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, who is one of the most revered Saints in Orthodoxy.

At the end of the Liturgy, a prayer service was held with petitions to St. Nicholas for intercession for the monastery, the inhabitants, parishioners and residents of the State of Florida, followed by the traditional procession with the icon of St. Nicholas, which was in the middle of the church during the Liturgy. Notably, this image was painted by the nun Zlata, who has obediences in the monastery and who is also an icon painter.