Saints of the Week

Saint Nicholas

Feast Day: 6th December

Virtue: Generosity

Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Asia Minor. He was very generous to the poor.

Once Nicholas heard that a man who had become very poor intended to abandon his three daugthers to a life of sin, he went out by night, threw a bag of gold into the window of the sleeping father and hurried away. Later the father fell to his feet and said, “Nicholas, you are my helper. You delivered my soul and my daughters’ from hell.

The Emperor Justinian built a church in his honor at Constantinople about the year 340. the Russian Church honors him more than any other saint. He is the patron of Russia.

St Nicholas is honored as the special patron of children. The word Santa Claus comes from his name.

He died at Myra in the year 342. he has always been venerated in Latin and Greek Churches. His relics are in Bari, Italy.