Saint Nino

St. Nino (http://vatopaidi.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/st-nino.jpg)

My hero is Saint Nino. She was the first saint who preached Christianity in Georgia. Georgian people accepted Christianity as their religion.

Saint Nino was from Cappadocia (today a region in Turkey). Her father was general Zabulon and her mother was Susana, who was a sister of Patriarch of Jerusalem, Iubenal. When Nino was twelve years old, her parents moved to Jerusalem. Nino’s father became a monk. As for her mother, she became a deacon. During her childhood Nino was brought up by the nun named Sarah. Nino heard that Christ’s tunic was in Georgia from Sarah. Once she had a dream in which Saint Mariami, Christ’s mother, told her to head for Georgia and preach Christianity and gave her a cross in her hands. Then she fastened the cross with her own hair and went to Georgia. Arriving in Georgia she preached Christianity and therefore more and more people became Christians. Saint Nino healed Queen Nana, who was seriously ill. And then she became Christian too.

According to the legend, once King Mirian went hunting but suddenly the sun disappeared and everything got dark. He asked for help for a long time but in vain. Then he began to ask Christ and immediately the sun appeared. Soon he became Christian too.

Saint Nino is buried in Bodbe monastery. This church was built by King Mirian, when Saint Nino died.