The repose of Archimandrite Nicholas Zachariadis, a monastic pioneer

The monastery is the prophetic place where creation becomes praise of God and the precept of concretely lived charity becomes the ideal of human coexistence; it is where the human being seeks God without limitation or impediment, becoming a reference point for all people, bearing them in his heart and helping them to seek God. — Pope St. John Paul II, Orientale Lumen 9

A life well-lived as a pilgrim and monastic pioneer has ended.

Archimandrite Nicholas Zachariadis fell asleep in the Lord on November 24th after a brief illness. A tireless advocate for the growth of monastic life, Archimandrite Nicholas will be remembered for his priestly zeal, quick wit, and a divine twinkle in his eye.

Born in Egypt to Greek parents, he grew up in Australia among the Greek community in Melbourne. In 1980, he entered the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans) and was ordained to the priesthood in 1987 by the Ukrainian Catholic Eparch of Australia, Ivan Prasko. In 1988/89, he obtained permission to study in Rome and for some time at the Italian Greek-Catholic monastery of Grottaferrata.

Returning to Australia, he desired to live out his vocation in the tradition of an Eastern monastic and gathered a small community around him, which moved to the United States in 1993. This community would become Holy Resurrection Monastery, which was founded in 1994.

In 1995, Holy Resurrection would put down roots in Newberry Springs, CA (in the Mojave Desert) with Fr. Nicholas elected as Hegumen (Abbot). In 2011, the community moved to its current location in St. Nazianz, WI, a town founded in honor of St. Gregory Nazianzen. Abbot Nicholas served as the head and father of the community until his retirement in December 2022.

The above are the facts of a life as a monastic founder. But, as impressive as they are, they tell little of the man.

Fr. Nicholas loved his monastic vocation and was committed to calling on Eastern Catholics to understand and appreciate their rootedness in monastic spirituality. In an age in which many laity, and even bishops, thought that monks and nuns were a waste of time, Abbot Nicholas strongly defended the monastic vocation.

Monasteries, he said, were “oases in the desert” and “reference points for the baptized”. His defense of monasticism was not from a standpoint of superiority—far from it. Rather, he wanted Catholics of all stripes to see the potential of monastic life for the spiritual renewal of the laity and as a powerful weapon in the New Evangelization.

Having visited Holy Resurrection Monastery, and having my spiritual father among its monks, I can testify that Fr. Nicholas’ vision of a wellspring in the desert is a living and thriving reality. As I’ve written before, Holy Resurrection Monastery (like all Eastern monasteries) allows for visitors to come and be refreshed with the gentle rhythm of monastic life.

In an age of ever-advancing secularization, estrangement, and technological human disintegration, monasteries provide the faithful with a concrete grounding in the necessity of baptismal life. Seeing the monks and nuns vigorously focused on living out their baptismal call to the best of their ability provides a needed example and holy encouragement to all who visit.

Fr. Nicholas understood this and lived his life advocating for monastic growth. His was truly a pioneering spirit, which led him from the wilds of the Australian outback to the deserts of California, and finally to the often snowy yet ever serene beauty of Wisconsin.

While Eastern Catholic monasticism remains minimal in the United States, we hope—as did Fr. Nicholas—that courageous men and women will heed a divine call and enter the spiritual struggle of monastic life. Monasticism has the power to transform—just look at the example and witness of Mother Angelica!

Our monks and nuns, in their singular devotion to serving the Lord, have the power to build beautiful things for the Kingdom of God. The grace of God at work in the monastic life has the ability to move mountains and to draw many sinners and lukewarm souls to the blazing and transformational love of Jesus Christ.

The Church needs monks and nuns in our monasteries. The Eastern Catholic Churches in the US are indebted to the example and witness of Fr. Nicholas. We pray for the blessed repose of his soul, for the peace and consolation of his brethren, and we hope in his intercession for the growth of monastic life in the US.

Archimandrite Nicholas will be laid to rest December 3-4, with visitation and a funeral Liturgy at Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, IL, and burial on the 5th in St. Nazianz, WI.

May his memory be Eternal!

• For more information about Holy Resurrection Monastery, please visit www.hrmonline.org. Abbot Nicholas appeared on EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa in 2014; you can find that episode here.