Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Nikolai

Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Nikolai

Join St. Tikhon's Rector, His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, and Dean, Fr. John Parker, and embark on a pilgrimage that traces the life, ministry, and legacy of St. Nikolai Velimirović (1881–1956), who served the last five years of his life at St. Tikhon's Seminary as professor and rector. One of the most influential Serbian Orthodox theologians, writers, and spiritual leaders of the twentieth century, often called the “New Chrysostom,” he was a tireless preacher, a gifted orator, and a prolific author whose life combined deep spiritual insight with great personal suffering.

Pilgrimage Details:

• Dates: June 2–13, 2026
• Group Size: 25–35 participants
• Click the button below for the full itinerary and registration

The pilgrimage begins in Serbia, where St. Nikolai was born and carried out much of his pastoral, academic, and episcopal work. From Serbia, the journey continues into North Macedonia, where he spent part of his episcopal ministry. The pilgrimage then continues into Kosovo, the historic and spiritual heartland of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Home to treasured monasteries, including Dečani, Gračanica, and the Patriarchate of Peć, Kosovo offers essential context for understanding the spiritual and cultural world that shaped St. Nikolai’s theological vision.

This journey provides an opportunity to encounter St. Nikolai’s life in a living way, not through abstract admiration but through visits to the concrete places where he lived, prayed, taught, and endured trials. It invites pilgrims to enter more deeply into the historical and spiritual landscape that shaped one of Orthodoxy’s great modern saints.

This pilgrimage is sponsored by St. Tikhon’s Seminary, where St. Nikolai taught during his time in the United States. His witness continues to inspire the seminary’s work of forming faithful clergy and lay leaders for the Orthodox Church.