Who is St. Nicholas?

By: Christian De Jesus

St. Nicholas is most widely known for being the inspiration for Santa Claus, but many people do not know what he did during his lifetime. St. Nicholas, also known as Nicholas of Bari or Nicholas of Myra, was born on March 15, 270 AD, in Patara, Turkey. His parents, Theophanes and Nonna, were wealthy but raised him to be a devoted Christian. He would eventually come to show what he learned from his parents. When they died of an illness going around the country, Nicholas took the money he had inherited from them and, following Jesus’s words, sold what he had and gave all the money to the poor who were needy, sick, and suffering. As he continued his journey, he later became the Bishop of Myra. He was known for kindness to those in need, love for children, and worry for sailors who faced the rough seas. 

However, all would not be well for St. Nicholas. A Roman Emperor named Diocletian was hunting Christians. He was so focused on hunting Christians that his prisons were full of mainly innocent Catholic prisoners and church authorities, and there was no room for actual prisoners. St. Nicholas was eventually arrested but was later released. After St. Nicholas was released from prison, he attended the Council of Nicaea to support Trinitarianism and one of his fellow bishops. Two years later, St. Nicholas died and was buried in his cathedral church. 

However, this is not where the story ends. Reports started to come in of St. Nicholas doing extraordinary deeds for those in need. The first report of him was protecting children, hence why he was known for helping children. This would later start a holiday in which children leave carrots and hay out for his horse and leave out their shoes for gifts on his feast day, December 6.