Hierarch14th century

Saint Nikodemos Archbishop of Serbia

d. 1324

Also known as Nikodemos of Serbia

A former abbot of Hilandar on Athos who became archbishop of Serbia, known for his church-building and for translating the typikon into Serbian.

May 11New Calendar

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May 24Old Calendar

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Commemorated as

Our Father among the Saints Nikodemos, Archbishop of Serbia

Life

Saint Nikodemos was a fourteenth-century Serbian hierarch who rose from the monastic life of Mount Athos to lead the Serbian Church as Archbishop of All Serbia and the Land of Pomor. A native of the Raska region, he is remembered above all as a learned theologian and translator who gave the Serbian Church its liturgical Typikon in the Slavonic tongue, and as a builder and restorer of churches.

Before his elevation he served as abbot (igumen) of the Serbian monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos, and after becoming archbishop he remained active in the affairs of both church and realm, mediating between members of the ruling Nemanjic dynasty. He reposed in 1324 and was glorified within the same century; his relics were enshrined at the Patriarchate of Pec, and his commemoration spread beyond Serbia, reaching the Russian Church.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 4

You ascended to the heights of the virtues, through which you approached God;
O Hierarch Nikodemos,
pray for us who lovingly glorify you as a pastor and teacher.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 4

The truth of things revealed you to your flock as a rule of faith,
a model of meekness, and a teacher of abstinence.
Therefore, through humility, you attained the heights;
and through poverty, riches.
O Hierarch Nikodemos our Father, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline4 momentsReadHide

1312-1316Abbot of Hilandar on Mount AthosAfter receiving the monastic tonsure on the Holy Mountain, Nikodemos served as igumen of Hilandar Monastery, the principal Serbian house on Athos. In this period he was sent on missions to Constantinople at the request of the Serbian kings to help reconcile the warring brothers Milutin and Dragutin.
1317Elected Archbishop of All SerbiaFollowing the death of Archbishop Sava III, Nikodemos was chosen as Archbishop of All Serbia and the Land of Pomor and ascended the primatial throne. As archbishop he continued his diplomatic efforts, helping to secure King Milutin's forgiveness and the return of Stephen of Decani from exile.
1319Translation of the Jerusalem TypikonNikodemos translated the Typikon of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified of Jerusalem into Slavonic and ordered its use in Serbia. In a surviving note he records that he undertook the work in fulfillment of the will of Saint Sava of Serbia, who had wished Serbian churches to follow the usage of Jerusalem.
1324ReposeSaint Nikodemos reposed on May 11, 1324 (one tradition gives 1325). His relics were placed in the church of Saint Demetrios at Pec and, by 1391, were enshrined in a special reliquary ark.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributionsReadHide

Scholar and translator

Saint Nikodemos was regarded as a gifted ecclesiastical writer and a learned theologian. Beyond his translation of the Jerusalem Typikon, he compiled records of the dates of the repose of Serbian rulers and archbishops in the Synaxarion so that their memory could be kept in the commemorative services of the Church.

Builder and restorer of churches

As archbishop he built the church of Saint Demetrios at the Patriarchate of Pec and a church dedicated to Saint Sava of Serbia at Lizica. He restored the historic monastery of Zica and maintained the cell of Saint Sava on Mount Athos, sustaining the ties between the Serbian Church and the Holy Mountain from which he had come.

Member ofReadHide

Synaxis of the Serbian Hierarchs

Commemorated together · Aug 30

Companions4 figuresShowHide

First Archbishop of Serbia, whose Typikon and wishes Nikodemos fulfilled

Sava IFirst Archbishop of Serbia

Serbian king whom Nikodemos, while abbot of Hilandar, was sent to help reconcile with his brother Dragutin, and whose forgiveness he later helped secure.

Saint Stephen Milutinof Serbia

Milutin's brother, the rival king whom Nikodemos was sent on missions to Constantinople to help reconcile with Milutin.

Venerable Dragutinof Serbia

Nemanjic prince whose return from exile and reconciliation with King Milutin Nikodemos helped to secure.

Saint Stephenof Decani