St. Nicholas

Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, present at the Council of Nicaea in 325, where tradition has him slapping Arius for his blasphemy. Loved for his secret generosity to the poor — the legend of three bags of gold dropped through a window to provide dowries for impoverished sisters became, through long centuries of telling, the figure of Santa Claus. His relics are venerated at Bari.

Born to wealthy Christian parents in Patara, in what is now Turkey, Nicholas lost them young and gave away his inheritance to those in need. He was elected bishop of Myra while still a young man and is said to have suffered imprisonment during the persecution of Diocletian before being freed under Constantine. His defence of orthodox Christology at Nicaea made him a champion of the faith as well as of the poor.

In 1087, Italian sailors carried his relics from Myra to Bari, where the great basilica of San Nicola was built to house them. Devotion to him spread through every corner of Christendom, making him one of the most widely venerated saints in both East and West. He is patron of children, sailors, merchants, and of entire nations — Russia and Greece counted him among their protectors for centuries.