Nectarios was born in 1846 in Silivri, Istanbul, to a poor family. At the age of 14 he moved to Constantinople to work for a tobacco merchant. His pay was low, so he was soon without shoes. He was impressed by the voluminous correspondence of his employer, so he decided to write a letter to Jesus Christ, and ask for some money for shoes. On the way to the post office he encountered another merchant, who volunteered to mail the letter for him. When the merchant noticed the address on the envelope, he read the letter and was deeply moved. He put money in another envelope and sent it to Nectarios. The young boy bought shoes, but when his employer saw them, he was certain that Nectarios was stealing money from him, and started beating him. The young boy could do nothing but claim that he received the money from Christ.