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Our father among the saints, [[BishopSaint]] '''Nikolaj Velimirović''' (Николај Велимировић, [[January 5]], 1880 - [[March 18]], 1956, also rendered ''Nicholas'') was bishop of Žiča in Serbia and the author of several many Orthodox books. His most widely-known work is the ''[[Prologue from Ohrid]]''. His first name is pronounced and sometimes written ''Nikolai''.

Nikolaj Velimirović was born in the small village of Lelich in Western Serbia. He attended the Seminary of St. Sava in Belgrade and graduated in 1905. He obtained doctorates from the University old-catholic faculty of theology of Berne (1908), while the thesis was published in German in 1910, whereas the doctor's degree in philosophy was prepared at Oxford and defended in Geneva (''Filozofija Filosofija Berklija'' - ''Berkeley's Philosophy'', in French) in 1909. At the end of 1909 he entered a [[monasticism|monastic ]] orderand was ordained a priest the same day. He received the title of archimandrite in 1910 and was named in 1911 an assistant professor in St. Sava Seminary in Belgrade. In 1919, then he was [[Archimandriteconsecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Nikolai was consecrated Bishop of Žiča in the [[Church of Serbia]].

During the Second World War in 1941 Bp. Nikolai was arrested by the Nazis in the [[Monastery]] of Žiča (which was soon afterwards robbed and ruined), after which he was confined in the Monastery of Ljubostinja (where, on the occasion of mass deaths by firing squad, he reacted saying: "Is this the German culture, to shoot hundred innocent Serbs, for one dead German soldier! The Turks have always proved to be more just..."). Later, this "new [[John Chrysostom|Chrysostom]]" was transferred to the Monastery of Vojlovica (near Pančevo) in which he was confined together with the Serbian patriarch, [[Gavrilo Gabriel (Dozic) of Serbia|Gavrilo (Dožić)]] until the end of 1944.

After the War he left Communist Yugoslavia and immigrated as a refugee to the United States in 1946 where he taught at several Orthodox Christian [[seminary|seminaries]] such as [[St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Seminary (Libertyville, Illinois)|St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Seminary]] in Libertyville, Illinois and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] and Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania (where he was [[rector ]] and also where he died) and [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] now in Crestwood, New York. During his time teaching at St. Vladimir's, he was very involved with the life of [[St. Sava Cathedral (New York, New York)|St. Sava Cathedral in New York City]]. He died on [[March 18]], 1956.

Although recently [[Glorification|glorified]] as a saint by the [[Church of Serbia]], some of his writings remain highly controversial. Nikolaj Velimirovic was allegedly anti-semitic and he is supposed to have approved of the holocaust. (See Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic: ''Addresses to the Serbian People—Through the Prison Window''. Himmelsthur, Germany: Serbian Orthodox Eparchy for Western Europe, 1985, pp. 161-162). Others regard his address from Dachau as having been under duress[http://www.balkan-archive.org.yu/kosta/pisma/l-serbs.are.new.jews.html][http://www.balkan-archive.org.yu/kosta/pisma/l-a.little.more.truth.html] and point to the lack of other anti-semitic statements in the rest of his large corpus of writings. He is recorded variously to have said that the Jews "crucified [[Christ]]," but such a statement is historically no different from that in the [[Bible]] or what [[Christians]] have been saying for centuries.

Others regard his address from Dachau as having been under duress==Glorification==On [http://www.balkan-archive.org.yu/kosta/pisma/l-serbs.are.new.jews.html[May 19][http://www.balkan-archive.org.yu/kosta/pisma/l-a.little.more.truth.html] and point to , 2003, the lack Holy Assembly of other anti-semitic statements in the rest Bishops of his large corpus of writings. He is recorded variously to have said that the Jews "crucified [[Christ]]Serbian Orthodox Church," but such a statement is historically no different from that in the [[Bible]] or what Christians have been saying for centurieswith one heart and one voice, which is more an allegation unanimously decided to enter Bishop Nicholai (Velimirovic) of historical fact rather than Ohrid and Ziča into the racism which is the heart calendar of saints of anti-semitismour Holy Orthodox Church.

==St. Nikolai Velimirovich is often referred to as Serbia's New Chrysostom. St. [[GlorificationJohn Maximovitch]]==On , who had been a young instructor at a seminary in Bishop Nikolai's [[May 19diocese]]of Ohrid, 2003, the Holy Assembly called him "a great saint and Chrysostom of our day [whose] significance for Orthodoxy in our time can be compared only with that of Bishops Metropolitan [[Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev|Anthony (Khrapovitsky)]]. ... They were both universal teachers of the Serbian Orthodox Church." {{start box}}{{succession|before=Sava (Barać)|title=Bishop of Žiča|years=1919-1920|after=Jefrem (Bojović)}}{{succession|before=Chrysostom (Kavourides), with one heart and one voice, unanimously decided to enter Metropolitan of Pelagonia|title=Bishop Nicholai of Ohrid|years=1920-1929|after=[[Platon of Banja Luka|St. Platon]]}}{{succession|before=Jefrem (VelimirovicBojović) |title=Bishop of Žiča|years=1937-1956|after=[[German of Serbia|German]]}}<!--- {{succession|before=new creation|title=Bishop of Ohrid and Zicha into the calendar of saints -Bitola|years=1957-1991|after=[[Platon of our Holy Orthodox ChurchBanja Luka|St.Platon]]}} --->{{end box}}

==QuotesWorks=="We should not desire the death The complete works of a sinner but his repentanceSt. Nothing so grieves Nikolai Velimirovich have been published in twenty-three volumes by the Lord, Who suffered on the Cross for sinners, than when we pray to Him for the death of a sinner, thereby to remove the sinner from our pathpublishing house Glas Crkve in Valjevo (Serbia). It happened that the Apostle Carpus lost his patience and began to pray that God would send down death upon two sinful men ===Prayers===*[http: one a pagan and the other an apostate from the Faith//www.sv-luka. Then the Lord Christ Himself appeared to Carpus and said: ‘Strike me; I am prepared to be crucified again for the salvation of mankindorg/praylake/index.htm ''' St. Carpus related this event to St. Dionysius Prayers by the AreopagiteLake'''] (1922), who wrote it down as a lesson to all in the Church that One hundred prayers are needed for sinners to be saved and not for them to be destroyed, for the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3by St Nikolai <ref>Copyright ©2004 [http:9)//store.holycrossbookstore.com/prbylabbiniv." -- ''The Prologue of Ohrid''html Holy Cross Bookstore Online]</ref>.

*"[[http://s3.amazonaws.com/orthodox/WhyVigilLampsLitBeforeIcons.pdf Why are Vigil Lamps lit before Icons?]]"(PDF)

* Life of Bishop Nicholai (Velimirovich) in ''Portraits of American Saints'', Compiled and Edited by George A. Gray and Jan V. Bear, Diocese Council and Department of Missions Diocese of the West Orthodox Church in America, 650 Micheltorena Street, Los AnglesAngeles, California, 1994, pp. 74-77 (Quoted at [http://www.serfes.org/lives/holyhierarchsaintnicholai.htm Serfes.org])