View source for Papa-Nicholas (Planas) of Athens

[[Image:NicholasPlanas.JPG|thumb|right|Icon of Papa Nicholas Planas in the church of Panagitsa, Paleo Faliro, Athens]]
The holy saint '''Papa-Nicholas (Planas)''' of Athens (1851-1932) was officially [[glorification|glorified]] as a [[saint]] by the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] of [[Constantinople]] in 1992. He was born in 1851 on the island of Naxos in Greece. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[March 2]], except when it falls during [[Great Lent]] period; then it is celebrated on the first Sunday following March 2. As a local saint of [[Metropolis of Paronaxia|Paronaxia]], he is also celebrated on the first Sunday of September, as part of the celebration of the island's five key saints at the Church of St. [[Nikodemus of the Holy Mountain]] on the island of Naxos in Greece.

==Life==
Papa Nicholas was married and the father of one child. He was married at 17, but his wife died only a few years later, and so he spent the rest of his life in celibacy, his only aspiration being to serve the Church. He was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] on [[July 28]], 1879, at the [[Church of the Transfiguration (Plaka, Greece)|Church of the Transfiguration]] in Plaka, Greece, and a [[priest]] on [[March 2]], 1884, at the Church of the Holy Prophet Elisha.

His focus for over 50 years was to serve daily the [[Divine Liturgy]], vigils, and other services. He never missed a Liturgy and spent most of his time in the very small church of [[St. John the Hunter (Athens, Greece)|Church of St. John the Hunter]] in Athens, Greece. The [[parish]] initially contained only eight families. He never refused to commemorate and pray for anyone when he served, and he carried in his pockets slips of paper containing thousands of names whom he would pray for during the [[proskomedia]] and the Liturgy.

[[Image:Planas5h.JPG|thumb|right|Holy relics of Papa Nicholas Planas in Athens]]
Numerous stories are told of his being lifted in [[prayer]] and of the [[acolyte]]s seing him raised off the ground in front of the altar during the Liturgy. While he would begin Liturgy at eight in the morning, he typically would not finish until two or three in the afternoon. When he was not able to serve at the church of St. John, he would always serve elsewhere.

He was famously absent-minded and was also well known for giving to the poor anything that anyone might give him. He was not an educated man but was considered immensely enlightened, an example of great holiness and humility.

He reposed in February of 1932. A new St. John the Hunter Church, which contains his [[relics]], has now been built.
==See also==
*[[Philotheos (Zervakos)]]
*St. [[Nektarios of Aegina]]
*[[St. John the Hunter (Athens, Greece)]]

==Hymns==
[[Kontakion]] ([[Tone]] 3) [http://www.serfes.org/lives/stnicholas.htm]
:Humble of spirit and pure of heart, illustrious in life and dispassionate of a truth, wast thou, O wise one. Thou didst illumine all by the virtues and dost grant grace unto them that draw nigh unto thee; and by thine intercessions, thou dost heal them that call upon thee, O Father Nicholas.

[[Megalynarion]] [http://www.serfes.org/lives/stnicholas.htm]
:As a simple shepherd of Christ God's lambs, thou didst tend thy flock well on the pasture of piety, nourishing their spirits with ceaseless supplications and leading them to Christ, O wise Father Nicholas.

==Further reading==
''Papa-Nicholas Planas'', by the ''Nun Martha''; translated from Greek and published by [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]], 1981.

==External links==
*[http://www.i-m-paronaxias.gr/byzantine-monasteries/nikolaos_planas.html Official Biography of St Nicholas Planas] in Greek by the ([[Metropolis of Paronaxia]], [[Church of Greece]])
*[http://fr-d-serfes.org/lives/stnicholas.htm Biography of Nicholas (Planas)] by Father Nektarios Serfes
*[http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/planas.html Canonisation Announcement] by Fr. Jacob Meyes
*[http://www.roca.org/OA/56/56e.htm The Simple Shepherd - Papa Nicholas Planas] by Fr. Alexey Young (''Orthodox America'')
*[http://evlogeite.com/?p=74 Papa Nicholas Planas: Another Modern Saint]

[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Greek Saints]]
[[Category:Priests]]