Lives of the Saints

OUR LADY OF KNOCK NEW FEAST DAY, AUGUST 17TH

The Vatican has approved a new Feast Day of Our Lady of Knock and this is the 17th August every year.  It will be listed in the new Roman Missal and has its own new Memorial Mass.

The reason why the 17th of August was chosen is that the 21st of August is already assigned to St. Pius X, the Pope of the Eucharist.

As the 21st August is the Anniversary of the Apparition of 1879, this will continue to be the local feast day in Knock and for Pilgrims visiting Knock on that day. When Our Lady appeared outside St. John the Baptist Church in Knock, Ireland on August 21, 1879, she uttered not a single word, but the way she chose to appear spoke volumes.

She was standing outside the Church with St. Joseph to her right and St. John the Evangelist dressed as a Bishop to her left. Wearing a long white cloak and a crown on her head, she stood with her hands apart and extended upward, similar to the way a priest holds his hands while praying at Mass. Her eyes were firmly fixed on heaven. Behind the figures was an altar with a large cross in front of a young lamb, which stood with its face to the west. An extraordinarily brilliant light surrounded the scene and even though it was pouring rain, the site where the figures stood remained dry.

This apparition is said to have lasted about one hour and was seen by 18 people.

Many people believe the central message of this silent apparition is a call to the Eucharist. The altar was at the center of the scene and at a higher level than the figures with the lamb above the altar but not resting upon it. Our Lady’s pose, with her hands so similar to those of a priest, seemed to be pointing to the importance and significance of the Mass. Her deliberate silence is believed by many to signify her desire for the witnesses to look beyond her to the altar of the Lamb of God.

Because four witnesses said Mary appeared to be praying, and she was wearing a crown, some theologians say she was acting in the role of a Queen who intercedes for her people; therefore, many believe she appeared at Knock as the Mediatrix of All Graces.

Holy Mother Church teaches that the graces we receive from the Sacrament of the Eucharist are impacted by the fervency we bring to our reception of it. In what ways can you increase your openness of heart and the holy desire with which you receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord?

The Atomic Bomb, the Rosary, and Fatima

It was 75 years ago, on August 6, 1945, the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, an American bomber dropped an atomic bomb that detonated 1,900 feet above Hiroshima, Japan. The blinding explosion killed everyone in a one-mile radius from “ground zero”—an estimated 60,000 men, women, and children.

On this date, a miracle occurred of which few have heard. The only survivors within that one-mile radius were eight Jesuit priests. These eight men, like the eight that survived the Great Flood, walked away from the atomic blast and lived into old age without radiation poisoning.

The Jesuit Father Hubert Schiffer, one of these survivors, was thirty years old at the time of the Hiroshima blast in 1945. After celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the feast of the Transfiguration, he sat down for breakfast when all the windows in every direction pulsed with light.

Here is Father Schiffer’s description of what happened: “A terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunder stroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me, whirled me round and round.” He experienced a few minor injuries, yet American Army doctors confirmed that he and his seven companions suffered neither severe injuries nor radiation damage.

When asked why he and his fellow Jesuits were unharmed while everyone else in the one-mile radius had died, Father Schiffer answered: “We survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the Rosary daily in that home.”

The story reminds us of Noah’s salvation in the ark, the deliverance of Daniel in the lion’s den, and, most of all, the preservation of Anania, Azaria, and Misael in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nagasaki, the home of two-thirds of Japanese Catholics, suffered the second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945. This city which had become the “Japanese capital of Catholicism” was obliterated. However, the Franciscan Friary established by Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe in Nagasaki remained undamaged. St Maximilian had previously decided to go against the advice that he had been given to build his friary in a certain location closer to the city. Instead, St Maximilian chose a location behind an intervening mountain. When the atomic bomb exploded, the Marian friary was protected and preserved. This special miracle reminds us of the words of King David and the canticle of Jeremiah and Ezekiel: “Thou who preparest the mountains by thy strength, being girded with power” (Psalm 64:7).

Please live the message of our sweet Mother delivered at Fatima: pray the Rosary daily (5 decades), wear the Brown Scapular of Mt Carmel, and attend Holy Mass on First Saturdays.


St. Charles Lwanga and Companions - June 3

Charles was one of twenty-two Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. They are the protomartyrs of Subsaharan Africa. He was baptized in November 1885, a year before his death, and became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptized boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga.

Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism?

When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burned to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly to death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, "Kotanda! (O my God!)." He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22,1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd on the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action.
This photograph was taken a year before their martyrdom. St. Charles is number 13.


St. Patrick (Patron of the Archdiocese of NY)

While the patron saint of New York City is St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York is St. Patrick, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the principal church of the archdiocese and the second tallest church (329 ft) in the United States. Early New York was an immigration hub for Irish immigrants, and they influenced the selection of the patron saint of their archdiocese.  To no one’s surprise, St. Patrick’s Day is a solemnity in New York City. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the liturgical season of Lent, Irish families traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat are usually waived, and people dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century, and he is believed to have died on March 17, 461. His father was a deacon, and at the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Catholic. It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Catholicism during his captivity. After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God’s—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. 

In the centuries following Patrick’s death, the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture. He is often credited with driving the snakes out of Ireland, but perhaps the most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland but in America.  Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was first held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The parade, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony's Irish vicar Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in New York City on March 17, 1762 to honor the Irish patron saint. Enthusiasm for the St. Patrick's Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities only grew from there. Over the next 35 years following the first NYC parade, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called “Irish Aid” societies like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes and drums. In 1848, several  New York Irish Aid societies decided to unite their parades to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Today, that parade is the world ‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants. Each year, nearly 3 million people line the 1.5-mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than five hours. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades involving between 10,000 and 20,000 participants each.  Sadly, the centuries-old St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City has been postponed this year, one of the most high-profile U.S. public events to be felled by the global coronavirus pandemic. Organizers plan to hold what would have been the 259th annual parade at a later date. The news came shortly after President Donald Trump announced a month-long ban on travel to the United States from European countries besides the United Kingdom, and the National Basketball Association said it was suspending the rest of the season after a player tested positive.

Up until the mid-19th century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine, which was caused by a fungus-like organism, hit Ireland in 1845, close to 1 million poor and uneducated Irish Catholics began pouring into America to escape starvation. 

Despised for their alien religious beliefs and unfamiliar accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs, and when Irish Americans in the country’s cities took to the streets on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys. However, the American Irish soon began to realize that their large and growing numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the “green machine,” became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick’s Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates.

In 1948, President Harry S. Tuman attended New York City ‘s St. Patrick’s Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish Americans whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in the New World.

As Irish immigrants spread out over the United States, other cities developed their own traditions. One of these is Chicago’s annual dyeing of the Chicago River green. The practice started in 1962 when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river–enough to keep it green for a week. Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye is used, and the river turns green for only several hours. Popular St. Patrick’s Day recipes include Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, and champ, and In the United States, people often wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

While St. Patrick’s day honors St. Patrick, it also celebrated all things Irish, and one icon of the Irish holiday is the Leprechaun. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. But while their treasure might have been gold, our Catholic treasure is the poor and our faith.

Our Lady of Loreto - December 10

This year, Pope Francis has extended to the Universal Church the celebration of the Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto to the Universal Church on Dec. 10.

The title "Our Lady of Loreto" is associated with the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, the house of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, miraculously transported by the angels from Palestine to Europe.

The house of the Holy Family in Nazareth has always been the object of Christian veneration. Shortly after 313, ST. HELENA, the mother of Emperor Constantine, built a basilica over this holy abode. The Saracens invaded the Holy Land in 1090, plundering and destroying Christian shrines, including Constantine’s basilica. Under the ruble, the Holy House was found intact.

During the twelfth century, another basilica was built to protect the holy dwelling. In 1219 or 1220 St. Francis of Assisi visited the Holy House in Nazareth. So did King St. Louis IX of France, when he was leading a crusade to liberate the Holy Land.

In 1263, when the Muslims overpowered the crusaders, the basilica was again destroyed but, once more, the Holy House was found intact. When the crusaders were completely driven out of the Holy Land in 1291, the Holy House disappeared. On May 10, 1291, a parish priest, Fr. Alexander Georgevich in the town of Tersatto, Dalmatia, (present-day Croatia) noticed the sudden appearance of a small building resting on a plot of land. Puzzled, he prayed about it, and in a dream saw the Blessed Virgin Mary, who explained that the structure was the house of the Holy Family, brought there by the power of God.
In 1294, with the Moslem invasion of Albania, the house disappeared again. According to the testimony of shepherds, it was seen on December 10 of that year born aloft by angels over the Adriatic Sea. This time the Holy House came to rest in a wooded area four miles from Recanati, Italy. As the news spread fast, thousands flocked there, and many miracles took place at the site.
Our Lady of LoretoDue to contrary circumstances, twice again the house was moved, finally coming to rest in the town of Loreto, Italy, its present location. As miracles continued to occur in connection with pilgrimages to the house, deputations were sent to Nazareth to determine its origins in 1292, in 1296, and in 1524. All three declared that the measurements of the house corresponded to the visible foundations of the house of Nazareth.

In 1871 at the suggestion of Cardinal Bartolini, Professor Ratti of the University of Rome was given mortar and stones from the house at Loreto, and similar materials from houses in Nazareth. Ignorant of which was which, Prof. Ratti ascertained that the composition of the material from the house of Loreto while not original to Italy was identical to that of the material from Nazareth.

Other striking facts about the house in Loreto are that it has no foundations. The walls rest on a plot that was part field and part road, a sure indication that it was not built there but placed there. The style of the house of Loreto is not Italian but Eastern. And the original door was on the long side of the house, indicating that it was a dwelling and not a church.

Today a great basilica houses the dwelling of the holiest of families. From 1330, practically all the Popes have considered Loreto the greatest shrine of Christendom. Bulls in favor of the shrine were issued by Pope Sixtus IV in 1491 and by Julius II in 1507. While the miracle of the translation of the house is not a matter of faith, Innocent XII, in the seventeenth century, appointed a special Mass for the Feast of the Translation of the Holy House. Numerous saints have visited the house-relic.

As pilgrims enter the small precinct, they read on the threshold, “Hic Verbum caro factum est” – “Here the Word became flesh”. Above the altar inside the holy house is an ancient statue of Our Lady holding the Infant Jesus, known as Our Lady of Loreto.

St. Joachim, Father of the Most Blessed Virgin
Feast: July 26th
St. Joachim was the ever-chaste husband of St. Anne, the mother of our Blessed Virgin.  Though advanced in years, Sts. Joachim and Anne remained fervent in their prayers to be blessed with a child.  God was pleased with their devotion and chose to bless them with a miraculous conception, long past child-bearing years, as a result of their love of Him and love of each other.  

Tradition teaches that while Joachim was away from home, an angel of God appeared to him in a vision.  This angel promised that he and Saint Anne would bear a child who would be blessed through the ages.  Upon waking from this vision, St. Joachim rushed home to share his excitement with his beloved wife.   She was there to greet him, only to reveal the same good tidings as she was promised in another visitation from God's messenger.  

What indescribably sweet happiness must have existed in their hearts to know God was granting them such a blessing!  In gratitude and devotion to their Lord, St. Joachim delivered Mary to the service of the Temple when she was just three years old.  

As a result of his exemplary love, devotion and obedience to the Will of the Father, St. Joachim was named Patron of fathers, grandfathers, grandparents, married couples, cabinet makers and linen traders.  He is shown in art forms as an older man, often in the company of his beloved wife, St. Anne, and sometimes with the Blessed Mother and Jesus.  

Images of Saint Joachim are often identified by the presence of his associated symbols.  A book or scroll represents linen makers, a shepherd's staff for the Christian word, and a basket of doves represents peace.  He is almost always dressed in green, the color of hope.

St. James the Greater - July 25

St James the Greater was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, and actually thought to be the cousin of Jesus himself, by the sister of the Virgin Mary, and the brother of St Jude Thaddeus. He worked as a fisherman with his brother John, his father Zebedee and his partner Simon. John and James were followers of John the Baptist and later, Jesus. He is the patron saint of Pilgrims and Spain.

James, along with his brother John, left his life as a fisherman when Jesus called him to be a “fisher of men”. He followed Jesus as one of his disciples until Jesus was crucified by the Romans. He and his brother John were given the nickname "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus. He is called "the Greater" because he was taller than the other apostle named James. He was present at the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor.

Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, he made a pilgrimage to the Iberian Peninsula to spread the word of Jesus and when he returned to Judea, he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44AD. This is detailed in the Bible in Acts 12 of the New Testament. “King Herod extended his hands to harm certain ones from the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also.” (Act 12 Modern English Version).

The remains, or relics, of St James the Greater were then transported by his followers to the Iberian Peninsula (today’s Galicia in Spain) and are said to be buried in Santiago de Compostela, which is why St James the Greater is the patron saint of Spain.

According to legend, his body, along with his followers, sailed to the Iberian Peninsula on a rudderless ship with no sail. Landing on the northwest coast of the peninsula they proceeded up the River Ulla to land at Iria Flavia, (modern-day Padron). The Celtic Queen Lupia ruled these lands, and when asked by James’ followers if they could bury his body she refused and sent troops after them. While chasing the followers of James with his body across a bridge it collapsed, killing her troops. Queen Lupia then converted to Christianity and provided an ox and cart for the followers of James to transport the body. Unsure of where they should bury the sacred remains, his followers prayed on this and decided to let the ox continue until it chose a place to rest. After pausing at a stream the ox finally came to rest under an oak tree at the top of a hill and it’s here that the Cathedral of Santiago stands today.

St. Mary Magdalene - July 22

Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, who cured her of a severe but unknown illness. She led a group of women who provided for Jesus and his followers from their own resources. It was the common practice for men and women to accompany each other when traveling, but they moved in separate groups. Mary and Peter seem to have been the leaders of these two groups. She was there during his ministry in Galilee and Judea, heard him teach, and may have been his financial backer, dealing with the practical details of looking after a group of men and women. Mary came from the town of Magdala in Galilee. It was a thriving center of the fishing industry, producing smoked fish in large quantities. It was also known as a manufacturing center for fine wool and woolen dyes. Mary seems to have been financially independent, so she probably lived in a comfortable village house. The anonymously penned Life of Constantine attributes the building of the church to Saint Helena in the 4th century CE, at the location where she found Mary Magdalene's house.

Mary was at the crucifixion, and each of the four gospel accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus shows her there. She was faithful to the end. Mary prepared Jesus’ body for burial and watched as Jesus’ body was sealed inside the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. She could confirm that he was really dead. She and the other women prepared the spices needed for the proper burial of a body.

Mary witnessed the resurrection on Easter morning when she discovered that Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb. She was the first person to speak to Jesus after the Resurrection, and she is called ‘Apostle to the Apostles’ because the risen Jesus told her to ‘go and tell’, apostellein in Greek.

The notion of Mary Magdalene as a repentant sinner became the generally accepted view in Western Christianity as a result of a homily delivered by Pope Gregory I in 591. He spoke highly of her devotion and love of Jesus but also referred to her as the anonymous sinner with perfume in Luke’s Gospel and as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. The pope also cited the Gospels of Luke and Mark which make a brief reference to Christ ridding Mary of “seven demons.” Pope Gregory surmised the seven demons as the seven deadly sins, thus making Mary not only guilty of lust, but pride and greed as well.

After the death of Christ, a legend states that she remained among the early Christians. After fourteen years, she was allegedly put into a boat by Jews, along with several other saints of the early Church, and set adrift without sails or oars. The boat landed in southern France, where she spent the remaining years of her life living in solitude, in a cave. Recognition of Magdala as the birthplace of Mary Magdalene appears in texts dating back to the 6th century CE. In the 8th and 10th centuries CE, Christian sources write of a church in the village that was also Mary Magdalene's house, where Jesus is said to have exorcised her of demons.

St. John of God - March 8

In 1503, at the age of eight, John fled from his parents for some unknown reason. For a while he was a shepherd, then a book dealer. Matters spiritual were of no particular interest until he heard the preaching of Blessed John of Avila. Then his conversion was so sincere and sudden that he was considered to be out of his mind. He was incarcerated in the Royal Hospital in Granada and suffered the cruel treatment of the day. Here he discovered how to show his love for God, through caring for those who were unable to respond to this cruel treatment. He resolved to devote the remainder of his life caring for people living on the margins of society.

Following John’s death on his 55th birthday, March 8th, his helpers banded together to live in the same radical, spiritual way of Hospitality that John had exemplified and in 1572 they were approved by Pius V, as the Hospitaller Brothers of (St) John of God. The members bind themselves by a fourth vow, the service of the sick. Because of his work, our saint has become the patron of hospitals and the dying. His name is in the Litany of the Dying. Here is one story told during his canonization.

On July 3, 1549, a fire broke out in the kitchen of the Royal hospital at Granada that had been founded by the Spanish king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella. It threatened to spread to the large wards where hundreds of sick were lying. The storm and fire bells rang loudly. People rushed from all sides, John in the lead. The fire was beyond control, firemen and volunteers were unable to extinguish it. No one dared to enter the burning building from which came the pitiful cries of the sick in the agony of imminent and certain death. Fire and smoke choked the exits. Those who could still arise from their beds stood pleading at the windows. The scene was enough to drive a person insane.

John could not stand idly by. Disregarding smoke and flame, he rushed in among the sick, opened doors and windows, gave terse orders and directions as to how they who could might save themselves; some he led, others he dragged or carried into the open, often two at a time. When all the bedridden were safe, he wasted no time in throwing coverlets, bed clothing, chairs, and other valuables out of the windows, thus saving the property of the poor.

Then he took an ax, climbed to the roof and began chopping away vigorously. Suddenly the liberated flames leaped up high beside him. He fled, only to continue his heroic work in another part of the building. There too a wave of fire soon stopped him. He was standing literally between two infernos. Moments passed, he was lost in the heat of the flames and the choking smoke. A quarter of an hour—loud cries of fear could be heard for the brave man—and then he sprang from the fire, blackened by smoke but unscathed except for singed eyebrows. Joyously the crowd surrounded him, congratulating the savior of the sick. John's modesty, however, prevented him from accepting praise and honors.

St. Ambrose - December 7

St. Ambrose (333-397) was born at Treves in Gaul, a territory which embraced modern France, Britain, Spain, and part of Africa. He studied in Rome and later became governor of Liguria and Aemelia with residence at Milan. While supervising the election of a new bishop of Milan in 374, he himself was suddenly acclaimed the bishop. He was only a catechumen at the time and was ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop on Dec. 7. He wrote much on the Scriptures and Fathers, preached a homily every Sunday, resisted the interference of the secular powers with the rights of the Church, opposed the heretics, and was instrumental in bringing about the conversion of St. Augustine. He composed many hymns, promoted sacred chant, and took a great interest in the Liturgy.

Who Is St. Nicholas (a.k.a. Santa Claus)?

St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint of New York City. The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves, and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year, Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.

Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.

Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers.

Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine, sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more. He did many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return. Within a century of his death, he was celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need (see list).

Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands (see list). Following his baptism, Grand Prince Vladimir I brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely revered that thousands of churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.

Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage. Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians were concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting away the bones, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.

Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the compassionate life.

Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th for Catholics and December 19 for the Orthodox, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.