Saint of the day September 10: Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. Catholic Saints

Every September 10, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Nicholas of Tolentino (1245-1305), Italian friar, priest and mystic; the first member of the Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) to be canonized.

With the protection of San Nicolás de Bari

Nicholas was born in 1245, in San Angelo, Pontano (Italy). It is said that his mother, having reached a certain age, had not been able to conceive. For that reason she, together with her husband, went on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of San Nicolás de Bari, to ask for the grace of becoming pregnant.

The woman, who deeply loved the Lord, promised that if He granted her such an immense favor, she would gladly give him her son to be a priest. God, who looks with compassion on those who ask with faith, granted the woman the blessing of becoming pregnant.

When the time came, a robust boy would be born who was baptized with the name ‘Nicolas’, in honor of his patron saint. The years passed and as Nicholas grew physically, a singular affinity for the things of God and spiritual themes also grew in him. Despite his youth, the young man would learn to dedicate more time to prayer than could be expected of any child his age.

A little boy with a huge heart

Nicolás liked to spend time talking with Jesus, something that was always encouraged by his parents. The boy listened with enthusiasm to the Word of God and delighted in good readings. Furthermore, it awakened in him a peculiar sensitivity towards those who suffer. One of the things he enjoyed most was taking home someone in need that he met along the way and sharing the family table with them.

Already as a teenager, after listening to the sermon of a hermit friar of the Order of Saint Augustine, Nicholas decided to renounce the world and become an Augustinian. He would soon be accepted into the hermit convent of the small town of Tolentino. He would make his religious profession before turning 18; and, in 1271, he would be ordained a priest in the convent of Cingoli.

Tolentino

Nicolás would remain in Tolentino for the next 30 years of his life, until God called him to his presence.

There he preached on the streets, administered the sacraments to the population and regularly visited the nursing home, the hospital and the prison; He spent long hours in prayer and when he didn’t, it was because he had sat in the confessional, to attend to the spiritual needs of the people. It became evident to everyone that the good Augustinian friar lived with simplicity and asceticism; and as a man detached from the things of this world, fasts and small bodily sacrifices were not strange to him.

Many miracles are attributed to Saint Nicholas, both in life and post mortem. When someone worked by the grace of God, he asked those who had witnessed it to keep a secret and not say anything to anyone: “Give thanks to God, not me,” he used to say.

The souls of purgatory

The faithful, impressed by the conversions that occurred thanks to the testimony of the saint’s life, constantly asked him to pray for the souls of those who had died without being ready to participate in the glory of God. This task was something that Nicolás always did with diligence and responsibility. Nicholas knew that those who died without having purged their sins could not enter heaven, and therefore they needed the help and solidarity of those who, still remaining in this life, could pray and intercede for them.

This would have been a kind of mission for the saint: saving souls from purgatory.

It was not in vain that, many years after his death, people began to call him “patron of holy souls” or “protector of the souls in purgatory.”

According to the Augustinians, one night, Nicholas was sleeping in his cell when he heard the voice of one of his fellow friars, who had recently died. The friar told Nicholas that he was in purgatory and asked him to celebrate the Eucharist for him and for other souls who were there, so that they would be freed by the mercy of Christ. After Nicholas celebrated the holy mass for this intention for seven days, the friar spoke to him again, this time to thank him and assure him that many souls, including his own, were now with God.

The miracle muffins

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino also had to endure pain and very difficult situations. The friar suffered for several years from severe stomach pains, and for some periods his health completely broke down. One day, while he was seriously ill, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and gave him certain instructions, with which in the end a miracle would be performed. The Mother of God told him to take a piece of bread, dip it in water and eat it, and that if he did so obediently, she would cure his ailments – there is another version of the story that indicates that it was the Virgin herself who told him. He fed pieces of bread.

Thus, God cured Saint Nicholas thanks to the intervention of the Virgin. From these experiences, the saint began to bless pieces of bread and give them to the sick. Through this simple gesture, many were cured.

As a memory of those miracles, on the day of the festival of San Nicolás, “Saint Nicholas buns” are prepared and shared among the devotees.

The arms of Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas died on September 10, 1305 and was buried in the church of the Tolentino convent, his home for more than three decades.

In 1345, his remains were exhumed and his body was found incorrupt. This was publicly exhibited and it was decided that his arms would be amputated so that they could serve as relics. It is claimed that at the time of the amputation the saint’s arms bled profusely, as if they were being separated from a living person.

A century after that event, another miracle occurred with the friar’s remains: the reliquaries that contained his arms were opened, and they appeared in perfect condition and soaked in blood.

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If you want to delve deeper into the life of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, we recommend reading the following article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Nicol%C3%A1s_de_Tolentino.

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