For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was translated by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance. Original source at the bottom. Explore more prayer: Akathists to Ascetics and Monastics, Intercessors for Marriages, Children and Families, Akathists for Spiritual Struggles, Righteous Men and Women, Western Saints
Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim (Nicola il Pellegrino / Άγιος Νικόλαος ο Προσκυνητής, Fool for Christ, +1094)
Feast Day: 2 June
He is included in the “Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church”, vol. 3 by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petras
PATRONAGE: Youth, Against madness, mental illnesses, for children against abusive parents
Kontakion 1
Chosen pilgrim and fool for Christ, who traversed lands and seas ceaselessly crying “Kyrie eleison,” bearing the Cross amid mockery, blows, and rejection, and who now stands before the Throne of the All-Merciful: with love we praise thee, O holy Nicholas. As thou didst walk the narrow path of sacred folly for the salvation of souls, so guide us through the tempests of this life, that we may cry: Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Ikos 1
From thy birth in Steiri of Boeotia thou didst reveal a soul aflame with divine longing. As a young shepherd thou didst forsake worldly cares, receiving the unceasing prayer of the heart—“Lord, have mercy”—which became thy very breath. Men accounted thee mad, but Heaven recognised thee as wise. Therefore we cry aloud:
Rejoice, vessel of unceasing Jesus Prayer;
Rejoice, shepherd who learned the wisdom of fools for Christ;
Rejoice, who from childhood didst taste the sweetness of compunction;
Rejoice, who didst choose the folly of the Cross over earthly prudence;
Rejoice, for “Kyrie eleison” was thy constant confession of faith;
Rejoice, living example of sacred unruliness that shames the wise;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 2
Seeing thy perpetual prayer and strange manner of life, thy mother and kin deemed thee possessed and drove thee from home. Yet thou didst ascend Mount Helicon, dwelling in a cave, where even the wild bear obeyed thy command in the name of Christ. With thy companion the monk thou didst offer unceasing praise to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Worldly understanding rejected thee as insane, yet thou didst embody the deliberate folly praised by the Apostle: “We are fools for Christ’s sake.” At Hosios Loukas the monks could not endure thy ceaseless prayer; expelled, thou didst fashion wooden crosses and plant them as silent preachers. We therefore sing:
Rejoice, fool for Christ who provokes the prudent;
Rejoice, bearer of the Cross in wilderness and city;
Rejoice, subduer of beasts by humble faith;
Rejoice, craftsman whose crosses proclaimed the crucified Lord;
Rejoice, whom men called mad but angels glorified;
Rejoice, whose family’s rejection launched thy holy pilgrimage;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 3
By God’s command thou didst undertake pilgrimage to Rome, meeting the monk Bartholomew. Sailing together, thy unceasing prayer calmed the winds and brought the ship safely to Otranto. The people marvelled and joined thee in singing: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Through Apulia thou didst wander, ever crying “Kyrie eleison” and carrying thy Cross, preaching repentance by thy very life. In Taranto the bishop, angered by thy “madness,” ordered thee beaten; thou didst endure with joy, wounded yet rejoicing. We glorify thee:
Rejoice, pilgrim bridging Greek East and Latin West;
Rejoice, calmer of storms by persistent prayer;
Rejoice, faithful companion in sacred wandering;
Rejoice, preacher whose words were deeds of holy folly;
Rejoice, turning persecution into victory;
Rejoice, icon of patient endurance for Christ’s sake;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 4
Arriving exhausted in Trani, still chanting and bearing the Cross, thou wast received with honour by the bishop. Before thy blessed repose thou didst change water into sweet wine, revealing the power hidden in thy seeming weakness. The faithful rejoiced and sang: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
Though thy earthly pilgrimage lasted but nineteen years, thy light endures forever. Reposing on the second of June, 1094, thou didst pass to the heavenly mansions, where thy voice joins the chorus of holy fools and martyrs. We on earth cry:
Rejoice, swift pilgrim who completed thy course gloriously;
Rejoice, wonderworker manifesting grace through simplicity;
Rejoice, patron and protector of Trani;
Rejoice, link uniting Eastern and Western veneration;
Rejoice, youth instructing elders in radical humility;
Rejoice, barefoot wanderer robed in divine glory;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 5
East and West together glorify thee, O blessed one: honoured by Pope Urban II, venerated in Orthodox calendars as Fool for Christ, and celebrated in thy cathedral in Trani. Thy annual procession proclaims thy triumph as we sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Many who suffer rejection, mockery, or spiritual affliction have found comfort at thy shrine. Thou who didst embrace sacred folly and deliberate unruliness for the sake of Christ, now comfort all who call upon thee:
Rejoice, healer of souls bruised by scorn;
Rejoice, defender of the pure-hearted and simple;
Rejoice, model for those pursuing true spiritual pilgrimage;
Rejoice, intercessor for the misunderstood and persecuted;
Rejoice, teacher of unceasing prayer in Western lands;
Rejoice, unifier of Christians through thy holy memory;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 6
Though thy tongue is stilled in death, thy prayer “Kyrie eleison” resounds through the ages. Grant us, O saint, a portion of thy ceaseless compunction, that in prosperity and adversity, calm and storm, we too may cry: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Beholding thy life of radical obedience and sacred folly, we renounce sloth and worldly attachments. Thou who wast a stranger and pilgrim on earth, make us strangers to sin and citizens of Heaven:
Rejoice, lover of desert silence amid worldly noise;
Rejoice, who didst prefer the Cross to every comfort;
Rejoice, whose every step was prayer and every breath mercy;
Rejoice, lamp of hesychia shining in a turbulent age;
Rejoice, fool whose “madness” reveals divine wisdom;
Rejoice, provocateur of shock who awakens souls;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 7
At the hour of thy departure thou didst commend thy soul to the Lord Whom thou hadst served with every fibre of thy being. Now, standing before Him, thou dost plead for all pilgrims, wanderers, outcasts, and those who cry “Lord, have mercy” from the depths. With thee we sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
O glorious Nicholas, accept our unworthy hymn as thou didst accept the taunts of men. Intercede for the Church, for thy city of Trani, for Greece thy homeland, for Italy thy resting place, and for every soul seeking the mercy of God:
Rejoice, heavenly pilgrim who never ceases interceding;
Rejoice, friend of the poor, homeless, and rejected;
Rejoice, protector of those called fools for Christ’s sake;
Rejoice, guide of all undertaking spiritual journeys;
Rejoice, for in thee divided Christians find common honour;
Rejoice, for thy life preaches the Gospel more powerfully than words;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 8
All creation rejoices at thy memory: the seas thou didst cross, the roads thou didst tread, the cathedral enshrining thy relics, and the hearts of the faithful who still echo thy beloved prayer. With one voice let us sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
Gazing upon thy icon, we beseech thy aid in our own pilgrimage. Grant us constancy in prayer, humility in suffering, joy in the Cross, and the courage of holy folly, that at the end of our days we may hear the Master’s “Well done” and join thee in eternal praise:
Rejoice, Nicholas, who didst run the race and keep the faith;
Rejoice, crowned with the laurels of sacred fools;
Rejoice, whose “Kyrie eleison” opened the gates of Paradise;
Rejoice, sweet intercessor before the Merciful Saviour;
Rejoice, for thou dost ever pray for us;
Rejoice, for through thee many turn to repentance;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 9
Provocateur of sacred shock, thou didst wander the roads of Apulia as a living sermon of folly for Christ’s sake, thy ceaseless “Kyrie eleison” disturbing the comfortable and convicting the self-righteous. Men beat thee, bishops scorned thee, yet in thy deliberate unruliness the power of God was perfected. Therefore with contrite hearts we sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
God’s Law teaches us that holy fools provoke outrage precisely so that hidden truths may be revealed; in thee, O Nicholas, this mystery shone brightly. Rejected as possessed, expelled as troublesome, beaten as mad—yet recognised by the simple as a vessel of grace. We cry out in wonder:
Rejoice, deliberate fool whose “madness” exposed worldly wisdom;
Rejoice, provoker of shock who awakened sleeping consciences;
Rejoice, barefoot pilgrim whose unruliness was higher order;
Rejoice, bearer of the Cross that men called useless burden;
Rejoice, for in thy seeming weakness the strength of Christ prevailed;
Rejoice, bridge of holy folly linking Greek East to Latin South;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 10
When the bishop of Taranto commanded thee beaten for thy ceaseless prayer and strange demeanour, thou didst rejoice in suffering, offering thy wounds as fragrant incense to the Lord. Thy patient endurance in the face of violence revealed thee as a true athlete of sacred folly. The faithful, beholding this, sang: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Thou didst embody the paradox of holy foolery: outwardly ridiculous, inwardly luminous; outwardly rejected, inwardly glorified. As one who feigned (or embraced) insanity for the sake of Christ, thou didst trample human respectability underfoot. Accept, O saint, our praises:
Rejoice, enduring mockery as royal purple;
Rejoice, turning blows into steps toward Heaven;
Rejoice, whose constancy in prayer shamed thy persecutors;
Rejoice, model of the Apostle’s “fools for Christ’s sake”;
Rejoice, pilgrim whose life was a living reproach to lukewarm faith;
Rejoice, for thy apparent folly judged the world’s prudence;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 11
Arriving in Trani, exhausted yet still chanting, thou didst find thy earthly rest, yet thy spirit never ceased its pilgrimage. There thou didst transform water into wine, confirming the hidden grace within thy holy folly. The Church rejoiced and cried aloud: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
Short was thy course—nineteen years—yet eternal is thy witness. Canonised swiftly by Pope Urban II, venerated by Orthodox and Catholics alike, thou standest as proof that holy foolery transcends East and West. We who live in an age of calculated sanity implore thee:
Rejoice, wonderworker whose simplicity worked miracles;
Rejoice, unifier of divided Christians through thy memory;
Rejoice, youth whose folly instructs the aged;
Rejoice, pilgrim whose relics guard the city of Trani;
Rejoice, teacher of unceasing prayer to Western lands;
Rejoice, for thy life remains a challenge to comfortable piety;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 12
O holy Nicholas, thou didst choose the path of sacred homelessness, wandering as a stranger on earth so as to dwell forever in the heavenly homeland. Now, standing among the choir of holy fools—Symeon, Andrew, and all who embraced divine madness for Christ—thou dost intercede for us who honour thy struggle, as we sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Gazing upon thy icon and reading of thy life, we cast off the heavy yoke of human opinion. Grant us, O blessed one, the courage to be fools for Christ in our own day: to pray without ceasing, to love the Cross amid scorn, and to walk the narrow path of holy simplicity. Therefore we cry:
Rejoice, homeless one rich in divine treasures;
Rejoice, wanderer whose true home was the heart of God;
Rejoice, chanter whose voice still echoes in the Church;
Rejoice, fool whose wisdom confounds philosophers;
Rejoice, pilgrim who finished the race in glory;
Rejoice, intercessor who never forgets those who call upon thee;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 13
O holy Nicholas the Pilgrim and Fool for Christ, accept this our Akathist as a poor yet loving offering. As thou didst provoke souls to repentance through thy deliberate unruliness and ceaseless prayer, so stir our hearts today. Ever intercede for us before the Throne of Mercy, that we may learn to pray without ceasing, embrace the folly of the Cross, endure all things with joy, and at the last be found worthy of the Kingdom, singing eternally with thee and all the saints: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Repeated three times
Ikos 1
From thy birth in Steiri of Boeotia thou didst reveal a soul aflame with divine longing. As a young shepherd thou didst forsake worldly cares, receiving the unceasing prayer of the heart—“Lord, have mercy”—which became thy very breath. Men accounted thee mad, but Heaven recognised thee as wise. Therefore we cry aloud:
Rejoice, vessel of unceasing Jesus Prayer;
Rejoice, shepherd who learned the wisdom of fools for Christ;
Rejoice, who from childhood didst taste the sweetness of compunction;
Rejoice, who didst choose the folly of the Cross over earthly prudence;
Rejoice, for “Kyrie eleison” was thy constant confession of faith;
Rejoice, living example of sacred unruliness that shames the wise;
Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Kontakion 1
Chosen pilgrim and fool for Christ, who traversed lands and seas ceaselessly crying “Kyrie eleison,” bearing the Cross amid mockery, blows, and rejection, and who now stands before the Throne of the All-Merciful: with love we praise thee, O holy Nicholas. As thou didst walk the narrow path of sacred folly for the salvation of souls, so guide us through the tempests of this life, that we may cry: Rejoice, O Nicholas, ceaseless chanter of mercy!
Troparion (Tone 4)
In thee, O Father Nicholas, was preserved the image of God, for thou didst take up thy cross and follow Christ. By thy prayers, O holy one, deliver our souls from every evil.
Kontakion (Tone 2)
Thou didst shine forth from Boeotia as a lamp of unceasing prayer, O Nicholas, and in Trani thou didst find thy rest. Ceaselessly crying “Kyrie eleison,” thou now rejoicest with the angels. Pray without ceasing for those who honour thee.
Intercessory Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim
O holy Nicholas, wondrous Pilgrim and Fool for Christ, who from thy youth in Steiri of Boeotia didst ceaselessly cry “Kyrie eleison” with thy whole heart, soul, and strength, hear our supplication. Thou who didst leave home and family for the love of Christ, dwelling in caves and wilderness, subduing wild beasts by humble prayer, and traversing sea and land bearing the Cross amid mockery and blows: look with compassion upon us who are burdened by sins, distractions, and the cares of this world.As thou didst calm the stormy winds by unceasing prayer while sailing to Otranto, calm the tempests in our souls and the storms in our lives. As thou didst endure beatings in Taranto with joy for the sake of Christ, grant us patience and courage to bear our trials with thanksgiving. As thou didst transform plain water into sweet wine in Trani, transform our cold hearts into vessels of divine grace and compunction. O blessed Fool for Christ, whose deliberate simplicity and holy unruliness shamed the wisdom of this age, deliver us from the spirit of worldly prudence and lukewarm faith. Teach us to pray without ceasing, to walk as pilgrims and strangers upon the earth, and to embrace the saving folly of the Cross. Intercede for us before the Throne of the All-Merciful Lord, that He may grant us:
- constancy in prayer,
- humility in suffering,
- purity in heart,
- boldness in faith,
- and the grace to finish our own earthly pilgrimage in repentance and peace.
Protect thy city of Trani, thy homeland of Greece, and all who venerate thee in East and West. Be a guide to the young, a comforter to the rejected, a healer to the broken, and a friend to all who feel themselves strangers in this world. For thou, O holy Nicholas, didst run the race in nineteen short years and now rejoicest eternally with the choirs of holy fools, martyrs, and saints. By thy prayers, may we too be counted worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, ever glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
SAINT NICHOLAS THE PILGRIM AND FOOL FOR CHRIST (1094) : https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/06/saint-nicholas-pilgrim-and-fool-for.html
NICHOLAS THE PILGRIM WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_the_Pilgrim
LATIN SAINTS OF THE ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE OF ROME : http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/saintsn.htm#:~:text=Nicholas%20the%20Pilgrim,as%20a%20saint.
