Our Father among the Saints Nicholas, Catholicos (+1591)

The holy Catholicos-Patriarch Nicholas was born around 1510–15; he was the son of Leon I, king of Kakheti. Inclined from his youth to the monastic life, Nicholas went to a monastery to labour there. The firmness and wisdom characteristic of the royal house, monastic obedience and the very great virtue of trust in God were wonderfully united in Saint Nicholas. By God’s providence he was installed as catholicos. “In the koronikon 272 (1584) Baratashvili, the Catholicos Nicholas, died, and by the command of God the son of Leon, king of the Kakhs, became catholicos, on the 28th of the month of February, on the day of Saturday,” we read in “The Life of Kartli”.

Saint Nicholas corresponded with Patriarch Job of Russia; the holy catholicos offered to the church of the Theotokos at Metekhi a Gospel written on parchment in 1049 and adorned with a beautiful binding.

Metropolitan Timote (Gabashvili) in his “Pilgrimage” tells of the Iviron monastery on Athos and notes that in the refectory there is an icon of the holy Catholicos Nicholas. The same author describes the refectory built by Ashotan Mukhranbatoni and adds: “There the Catholicos Nicholas died; I think he was a prince.”