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chau he refused to return to his homeland which was under the rule of a god-
less regime and went ?rst to England and then to America trying to help the
Serbs and Serbia with his words and deeds. While most Serbs missed him and
his activities he was branded – to Serbia’s shame – a war criminal by the Yugo-
slav regime.

He stipulated in his Will that his mortal remains be returned to Serbia
when the time comes. This indeed happened on the feast of St Basil of Ostrog,
the Miracle-maker, on 12th May 1991 when his holy relics arrived from faraway
America to his native Lelic. A Holy Liturgy was celebrated in the presence of
all strata of Serbian people and society. With God’s providence and St Bishop
Nikolai’s blessing the author of this text had the honour of also taking part.

Today St Bishop Nikolai’s books can be found in almost all Serbian
homes. They are being translated into many languages and are becoming in-
creasingly popular. If Bishop Nikolai, in the words of that Englishman, became
“Serbia’s third army” during his life, he as a saint in his beloved homeland has
now become “Serbia’s universal army” because a saint can do for his country
and nation much more than an entire army.

St Bishop Nikolai pray for us!

Note: Bishop Nikolai was canonised in May 2003. His feast day is celebrated on 3rd May.

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