Saint Nicholas: 5 facts that every Catholic should know

Saint Nicholas of Bari, whose feast day is celebrated every December 6, is well known as the real-life inspiration for the well-known Christmas character Santa Claus.

Not much is known about the historical Nicholas, who was bishop of Myra, a Greek city in modern-day Türkiye, during the 4th century AD.

But there are many stories and legends that explain his reputation as a just and upright man, a charitable giver and known for performing many miracles.

Here are five facts you should know and share about Saint Nicholas of Bari:

1. The legend behind why Saint Nicholas of Bari is the patron saint of children

Many people know that Saint Nicholas of Bari is the patron saint of children, but they may not know why he has that title.

There is a grisly legend that during a famine in Mira, three young men were lured to a butcher shop, where they were killed and then brined in a wooden barrel with the intention of selling them as “ham.” The good bishop worked a miracle: he brought the pickled children back to life and saved them from a horrible fate.

This story became the subject of many representations of Saint Nicholas of Bari in art, especially during the Middle Ages. Some people believe that the depictions of the bishop with the three children gave him a reputation as a protector of children.

The brine legend may explain how he also became, interestingly, the patron saint of brewers and coopers (people who make casks, barrels, vats, troughs and similar wooden containers).

2. He is one of the most revered saints in the Russian Orthodox Church

Saint Nicholas is a unifying figure between Catholics and Orthodox Christians, as both groups venerate him.

But he is incredibly important in the Russian Orthodox Church, where he is known as Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, for the numerous miracles attributed to him during and after his life.

For the Orthodox, Saint Nicholas of Bari is honored primarily for his qualities as a holy bishop and good shepherd of his people.

Furthermore, in its weekly liturgical cycle, which dedicates different days of the week to Jesus Christ and other saints, only three are specifically named: Mary, the Mother of God; John the Forerunner (known to Catholics as John the Baptist); and Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas did not leave any theological writings, but he is credited with saying upon being named bishop that “this dignity and this office demand a different use, so that one no longer lives for oneself, but for others.”

3. Jolly old Saint Nicholas?

Due to his popularity among Orthodox Christians, Saint Nicholas is a favorite subject in iconography.

But don’t be surprised if, among the hundreds of icons that represent you, you don’t see a perky dimple or a “little round tummy.” Although he has a white beard.

4. Patron saint of bachelors, fishermen, moneylenders and the falsely accused

One of the most popular legends, this saint tells that he came from a wealthy family and that he secretly helped a poor man with three daughters.

The father could not provide an adequate dowry for the girls to marry, and without husbands to support them, they might have been forced to turn to prostitution.

After learning of the situation, Nicholas secretly slipped a bag of gold coins through the family’s window while they were sleeping. Later, he left a second bag of coins, and also another bag for the third daughter, at which point, legend has it, the father, who had waited up all night, “caught” the saint while giving gifts. But Nicolás made him promise to keep the secret.

The story is probably the explanation for why the modern Christmas character of Santa Claus brings his gifts for children under the cover of night.

In works of art that reference this legend, the three bags of coins are often depicted as three golden balls. Images of golden balls were also used to mark pawn shop shops, so Nicholas probably also became their patron saint.

One of the many miracles attributed to Saint Nicholas occurred at sea while traveling aboard a ship to the Holy Land, when he calmed the stormy waters that threatened their lives. That is why he is the patron saint of sailors and travelers.

That he is especially invoked by the falsely accused can be attributed to an early story about how he rescued three innocent men moments before their execution. The bishop is said to have bravely pushed aside the executioner’s sword, freed the men from their chains, and angrily rebuked a juror who had accepted a bribe to find them guilty.

5. Two holidays

Most people know that the feast of Nicholas is celebrated on December 6, the day he died in 343, but for the Eastern Slavs, as well as the people of Bari (Italy), May 9 as well. It is an important day to celebrate the saint.

That date is the anniversary of the day on which the relics of Saint Nicholas were transferred from Mira, in present-day Turkey, to Bari, shortly after the Great Schism between Catholics and Orthodox, in 1054 AD. That is why in Europe he is known as Saint Nicholas. from Bari.

Accounts differ as to whether the transfer of the relics was a theft or an attempt by Christian sailors to preserve the saint’s remains from destruction by the Turks. But whatever the real reason, the relics can still be venerated today in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in the Italian city of Bari.

Pope Francis has visited Bari, in the Puglia region of southern Italy, twice during his papacy (2018 and 2020) and both times stopped at the basilica’s crypt to venerate the saint’s relics.

The pontifical basilica is an important place of ecumenical significance, since the Catholic Church welcomes many Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Christians to the pilgrimage site. In the crypt, where Saint Nicholas is buried, there is also an altar for the celebration of Eastern Orthodox and Catholic liturgies.

For Christians who follow the Julian calendar, as do the Eastern Orthodox, the main feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 19. An Orthodox Divine Liturgy is usually celebrated that morning in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas.

On December 6, the Catholics of Bari celebrate the beloved saint with Mass, concerts and a procession through the streets of the city.

This article was originally published on December 6, 2022 in CNA and was updated for republication.