Feast: December 6
Title: Confessor, Bishop of Myra in Lycia
Patron of: children, sailors, merchants, the poor, Russia, and many towns and cities
Attributes: bishop’s attire, three gold balls or coins, ship, children, anchor, crozier
I. Early Life and Vocation
St. Nicholas was born in Patara, a city in Lycia (modern-day southern Turkey), toward the end of the 3rd century, to Christian parents of noble lineage. From his infancy, he was marked by signs of sanctity. According to tradition, he fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays even as a child, refusing his mother’s milk on those days until after sundown—a practice symbolizing his future as a great ascetic and confessor.
Raised in the fear of God, he devoted himself to prayer, Scripture, and charity. After the death of his parents, who left him a considerable inheritance, Nicholas distributed all he had to the poor, obeying the words of Our Lord: “If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to the poor.” (Matt. 19:21)
II. Charity in Secret: The Three Dowries
The most famous of Nicholas’ charitable deeds, which later inspired the custom of secret gift-giving, was his rescue of three impoverished maidens whose father, unable to afford dowries, considered selling them into shameful lives.
Nicholas, desiring anonymity, went by night and tossed a bag of gold into the man’s house—three nights in succession, according to some accounts. In other versions, he delivered the dowries over three occasions, each time saving one of the daughters. On the third night, the father stayed awake to catch his benefactor, and upon recognizing Nicholas, he fell at his feet in gratitude. The saint insisted he tell no one.
III. Bishop of Myra and Defender of Orthodoxy
Nicholas made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and upon returning to Lycia, was chosen Bishop of Myra by divine inspiration. He became renowned for his pastoral zeal, his care for the poor, and his courageous defense of the faith during the persecution of Diocletian, in which he was imprisoned and tortured.
After the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted freedom to the Church, Nicholas resumed his episcopal ministry and attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. There, he was among the 318 bishops who condemned the Arian heresy. Though not mentioned in the earliest conciliar records, strong tradition holds that Nicholas was present and, inflamed with holy zeal, struck the heretic Arius across the face for blaspheming the divinity of Christ.
This bold act, while shocking, was not without precedent among the early Fathers who equated doctrinal heresy with violence against souls. Nicholas was briefly deposed for the act, but, according to legend, Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin appeared in a dream to the other bishops, restoring his authority and praising his defense of truth.
IV. Miracles and Wonders
St. Nicholas was endowed with many miraculous gifts during his lifetime and after his death. Among the most well-known miracles:
- Saving sailors from a storm: Mariners caught in a violent tempest prayed to him, and he appeared, calmed the sea, and guided their ship to safety.
- Deliverance of the Innocent: Three innocent men condemned to death were saved through his intervention, as Nicholas appeared in a dream to the emperor or local governor, exposing the injustice.
- Raising the Dead: In some accounts, he raised from the dead three children who had been murdered and pickled by an evil innkeeper during a famine.
These stories, especially those involving children, gave rise to his later association with gift-giving, leading ultimately to the secularized “Santa Claus,” a distortion of the saint’s real life and spiritual power.
V. Death and Relics
St. Nicholas died on December 6, sometime between 345–352 A.D., and was buried in Myra. His tomb became a place of pilgrimage, renowned for exuding a fragrant and miraculous oil called “manna of St. Nicholas”, believed to have healing properties.
In 1087, his relics were translated to Bari, Italy, by pious merchants, where they remain to this day in the Basilica di San Nicola, still exuding manna.
✠ Legacy and Devotion
St. Nicholas became one of the most beloved saints in Christendom. His cult spread widely in both the East and West. He is still greatly venerated among Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and even many secularized cultures due to his association with gift-giving.
Traditional devotion to St. Nicholas includes:
- Prayers for his intercession, especially for children and sailors
- Patronage of cities and nations (he is one of the patrons of Russia and Greece)
- Celebration of his feast day on December 6 with Mass, hymns, and acts of charity
- In some European traditions, children leave shoes out on the eve of his feast, recalling his secret charity.
✠ Prayer to St. Nicholas
O God, Who didst adorn Thy blessed Bishop and Confessor Nicholas with innumerable miracles: grant, we beseech Thee, that by his merits and prayers, we may be delivered from the fires of hell and from all other dangers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.