Have you ever been to a meeting, conference, or event where the organizer asked you to share something interesting about yourself with the group? You sit there and scour your brain for something, anything interesting to bring to the table? After visiting the chest of Saint Simeon we now have something to share.
On our recent tour of Zadar, Harry and I had a travel experience that will forever fill our need to think of something fantastically random about ourselves. In fact, I’m pretty sure that for the rest of our lives, this will be our go-to conversation starter at cocktail parties and social gatherings. After visiting the Croatian city of Zadar, we can now say that we were one degree of separation away from Jesus Christ!
Viewing Saint Simeon
Zadar has always been one of our favorite cities in Croatia. As a university town, it is small, diverse, and somewhat eccentric. Despite its size, there’s a ton of history and landmarks to tour and explore. During our last visit to the city, we had a unique travel experience that was both culturally and spiritually significant.
Zadar’s Best Must-Do Tour: Private Speedboat tour “Hidden Gems of Dugi Otok”
We arrived in Zadar on our Adriatic cruise tour on a pretty, fall afternoon. We were guided to many of the city’s noteworthy hotspots by our local guide.
Throughout the tour, our guide kept saying that he had a special surprise for us if the timing worked out. Always looking for a good surprise, we were curious to find out what it might be.
If we consider the theory of Six Degrees of Separation, we can all just say that we were one step away from meeting Jesus.
As the sun fell, we arrived in front of the Church of Saint Simeon. We were instructed to enter in respectful silence and follow behind our guide up to the altar. Afterward, we’d discuss the importance of our visit to the square.
The Chest of Saint Simeon
As we made our way up to the altar in a quiet procession, we came upon the sarcophagus with its two red velvet curtains drawn open. Inside were the 2,000-year-old mummified remains of St. Simeon.
Zadar’s Best Walking Tour: Zadar Small-Group Walking Tour
Once a year, on the patron’s day of October 8th, the chest is opened and the Saint is on display for only one week. The sarcophagus is noted to be one of the finest from medieval Europe.
The opulent silver chest was made in 1380 by one of the most skilled goldsmiths at the time. The engravings feature the legends and miracles surrounding St. Simeon. This sarcophagus is also protected by UNESCO.
What makes visiting St. Simeon so special are the legends of his past. The most significant story was that St. Simeon was visited by the Holy Spirit who told him he would not die until he had seen the Lord Jesus Christ. Later, St. Simeon would be the one to greet Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses forty days after his birth.
Six Degrees of Separation
After visiting the church and viewing St. Simeon, our group gathered in the square to reflect on standing before one of the world’s favorite saints. A noteworthy scientist, also a guest on our cruise, then made the most brilliant observation! He exclaimed, “If we consider the theory of Six Degrees of Separation, we can all just say that we were one step away from meeting the Holy Family.”
Zadar was one of the overnight stops on our Adriatic cruise with eWaterways. Besides visiting the Church of St. Simeon, guests have the opportunity to explore many picturesque sights, both old and new. Inspired to learn more? Visit eWaterways.com.
Join us in our vlog below as we explore all the hotspots cruising aboard the Adriatic Queen.
You must log in to post a comment.