Venerable Nicetas (Nikita) Stylites was a 12th-century

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

n saint who founded the Monastery of St. Nicetas on the eastern shore of

Lake Pleshcheyevo Lake Pleshcheyevo ( rus, Плеще́ево о́зеро, p=plʲɪˈɕːejɪvə ˈozʲɪrə) is a glacial lake in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia. The historic town of Pereslavl-Zalessky is on the southeastern side of the lake. The lake, which is part ...

Zalesye Zalesye ( rus, Зале́сье, p=zɐˈlʲesʲjə, ''area beyond the forest'') or Opolye ( rus, Опо́лье, p=ɐˈpolʲjə, ''area in the fields'') is a historical region of Russia, comprising the north and west parts of Vladimir Oblast, t ...

. Nikita led a dissolute life in his youth. However, upon entering a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

on a certain occasion he heard the words of the Prophet

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

(1:16) 'Wash you (of your

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

s), make you clean;' with this a profound

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

was effected in his

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

. Thus converted Nikita left all he possessed and entered upon the ascetic life near Pereyaslavl. His discipline led him to bind himself in chains and enclose himself within a pillar, thus the title 'stylite'. He became well known as a healer. Nikita Stylites was killed on May 16, 1186 during a robbery, the thieves having believed the hermit to have been bound by

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

chains.

Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cat ...

Nikita is commemorated May 24 by the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

.Great Synaxaristes:
Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικήτας ὁ Ὁσιομάρτυρας ὁ Στυλίτης
'' 24 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

References

Sources

Russian Orthodox Church, Texas
{{authority control 1186 deaths Stylites Russian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Year of birth missing 12th-century Eastern Orthodox Christians 12th-century Christian monks 12th-century Christian saints

See also

References

Sources