Zadar, Croatia: Saint Simeon’s Church
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
”Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” - Luke 2:25-35
Saint Simeon (sometimes referred to as Aged Simeon or Simeon the God-Receiver), the devout and extremely ancient servant of the Jerusalem Temple who was allowed the blessing of an extended lifespan (some sources put his age at over 200 years old) so that he could behold the Christ-child before departing this world, was a much-beloved figure of the New Testament and is strongly connected with both the feast of Candlemas and the Presentation of the Lord in Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Orthodox and other Church confessions. As these feasts all fall in February, Saint Simeon and is often associated with folk traditions of different European countries with the anticipated end of winter and the coming of spring, seasonable weather and harvests.
No wonder, then, that the relics of Saint Simeon were very much revered throughout the centuries. While the burial site of Saint Simeon is traditionally held to be in a neighborhood of what is today known as Katamon outside of the Old City of Jerusalem, the relics were housed for many years in the great imperial city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) before being forcibly taken by merchants during a period of turmoil in the early 13th century, with the intent of sending them to Venice along with many other precious treasures. Legend holds that the ship laden with the sarcophagus of Saint Simeon was forced to land ashore in the Dalmatian port city of Zadar in modern-day Croatia, where, through either divine or human intervention (or perhaps both), the relics were housed in different convents in Zadar until a permanent chapel was dedicated as the Sanctuary of Saint Simeon, where they have remained ever since. The relics became some of the most venerated by the Roman Catholic faithful of Dalmatia and the Adriatic Sea region by the late 14th century when a noblewoman, Queen Elizabeth of Bosnia, attempting to secure some of the relics for herself in the hopes they would assist her with conceiving a son, broke off a finger of Saint Simeon during a visit to the sanctuary. Legend holds that the noblewoman quickly regretted her actions and returned the finger to the body, and as an act of penance, promised to commission a reliquary for the saint.
This she did, and to this day, the splendid reliquary of Saint Simeon is still in use. As almost the entire body of Saint Simeon is kept in the reliquary, at over five feet in length, it is for all intents and purposes a coffin, made of cedarwood, silver and gold, with ornate reliefs depicting the life of Saint Simeon and the translation of the relics from Constantinople to Zadar. A Latin inscription reads: "Simeon the Righteous, holding Jesus, born of a virgin, in his arms, rests in peace in this chest, commissioned by the Queen of Hungary, mighty, glorious and majestic Elizabeth the Younger, in the year 1380. This is the work of Francis of Milan (the silversmith)". The entire reliquary is held aloft by four bronze angels cast out of seventeen Turkish bronze cannons captured by the defenders of the city during a 17th-century siege. The relics themselves are shown once a year by the opening of a screen built into the reliquary, on October 8th, at precisely 8:30 AM, with great ceremony.
A final note: In 2007, part of the ever-traveling relics were returned to the Holy Land to the care of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, bringing Saint Simeon home to the Jerusalem that he lived and served in for many long years. Another portion of his relics is said to be kept in Venice. Yet, by and large, Saint Simeon remains in beautiful Zadar to this day, where he remains in well-deserved rest.
Be Not Afraid!
Good Shepherd Travel offers trips to Croatia, as well as Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, and many other destinations across Europe. And of course, we love Jerusalem and the Holy Land best! For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2021 and 2022, contact Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com.