St. Nicholas’ Relics Enthroned In Roman Catholic Church In Kyiv

13.12.2002, 15:31

On 6 December 2002, relics of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, (popularly known as “Santa Claus”) were enthroned in the Roman Catholic Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv. This was done during a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, apostolic nuncio in Ukraine. Among those present were Roman and Greek Catholic priests, monks, nuns and the faithful.

Chrism (oil) from St. Nicholas’ relics was brought to Kyiv on 6 December from the Italian city of Bari, where the relics have been for centuries. In addition to the chrism, the Roman Catholic Dominican Fathers also handed over a certificate of authenticity. The chrism was taken from the reliquary in Bari in which St. Nicholas’s relics are kept. It will now remain in St. Nicholas’ Church in Kyiv. The Church of St. Nicholas was built from 1899 to 1909 as the second Roman Catholic church in Kyiv, the first being St. Alexander’s Church. It was closed during Soviet times and from 1945 was used as an archival storehouse. In 1979, the building was transferred to the Republican House of Organ and Chamber Music. On 4 January 1992, Bishop Jan Purvinski consecrated the cathedral and a Mass was celebrated there. Since then, the building has been used both for religious services and concerts. Currently, it belongs to the Kyivan Municipal Department for Culture, but the Roman Catholic Church hopes it will be returned to the local community.