St. Nikephoros of Chios (1750 – 1821)

Bio

St. Nikephoros lived on the small Aegean Island of Chios and never once left it for the Greek mainland. As a chronically sick young boy his parents vowed that if he could be healed of what appeared to be a certainly fatal illness, they would dedicate him into God’s service through a local monastery. All of his life, Nikephoros lived close to the land, and he used every opportunity to teach that trees are a primary source of future community wealth. He spent much of his life planting trees of many kinds and when his parents died, he sold his entire inheritance to assist in additional tree planting throughout the island.

A Lack of Trees Brings Poverty

In future times, he says, “men will become poor because they will not have a love for trees….”

~ Quoted in Constantine Cavarnos, Modern Orthodox Saints: Volume IV, “The Life of St. Nikephoros of Chios,” The Institute for Byzantine Studies, Belmont, MA 1976, pg. 30.

Trees and the Love of God

If you don’t love trees, you don’t love God.

~ Quoted in Constantine Cavarnos, Modern Orthodox Saints: Volume IV, “The Life of St. Nikephoros of Chios,” The Institute for Byzantine Studies, Belmont, MA 1976, pg. 30.