Biography of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino

Also known as

• Niccolò da Tolentino
• Nicola da Tolentino
• Nicolás de Tolentino
• Patron of Holy Souls

Memorial

• 10 September

Profile

His middle-aged parents, Compagnonus de Guarutti and Amata de Guidiani, were childless until a prayerful visit to a shrine of Saint Nicholas of Myra at Bari, Italy. In gratitude, the couple named their son Nicholas.

Nicholas became an Augustinian friar at age 18, and a student with BlessedAngelus de Scarpetti. Monk at Recanati and Macerata in Italy. Ordained at age 25. Canon of Saint Saviour’s. There he received visions of angels reciting the phrase “to Tolentino“; he took this as a sign to move to that city in 1274, and there he lived the rest of his life.

Worked as a peacemaker in a city torn by civil war. Preached every day, wonder-worker and healer, and visited prisoners. He always told those he helped, “Say nothing of this.” Received visions, including images of Purgatory, which friends ascribed to his lengthy fasts. Nicholas had a great devotion to the recently dead, praying for the souls in Purgatory as he travelled around his parish, and often late into the night.

Once, when severely ill, he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Augustine of Hippo and Monica. They told him to eat a certain type of roll that had been dipped in water. Cured, he began healing others by administering bread over which he recited Marian prayers. The rolls became known as Saint Nicholas Bread, and are still distributed at his shrine.

Reported to have resurrected over one hundred dead children, including several who had drowned together. Legend says that the devil once beat Nicholas with a stick; the stick was displayed for years in the his church. A vegetarian, Nicholas was once served a roasted fowl; he made the sign of the cross over the bird, and it flew out a window. Nine passengers on ship going down at sea once asked for the aid of SaintNicholas; he appeared in the sky, wearing the black Augustinian habit, radiating golden light, holding a lily in his left hand; with his right hand he quelled the storm. An apparition of the saint once saved the burning palace of the Doge of Venice by throwing a piece of blessed bread on the flames.

Born

• 1245 at Sant’Angelo, March of Ancona, diocese of Fermo, Italy

Died

• 10 September 1305 at Tolentino, Italy following a long illness
• relics re-discovered at Tolentino in 1926
• in previous times his relics were known exude blood when the Church was in danger

Canonized

• 5 June (Pentecost) 1446 by Pope Eugene IV
• over 300 miracles were recognized by the Congregation

Patronage

• Albi, Italy
• animals
• babies (reported to have raised more than 100 children from the dead)
• boatmen
• Cabanatuan, Iloilo, Philippines. diocese of
• dying people
• Guimbal, Iloilo, Philippines
• Lambunao, Iloilo, Philippines
• mariners
• Mati, Philippines, diocese of
• sailors
• sick animals
• souls in Purgatory
• Tandag, Philippines, diocese of
• Tolentino, Italy
• watermen

Representation

• Augustinian giving bread to a sick person
• Augustinian holding a container of bread
• Augustinian holding a container of money
• Augustinian holding a lily
• Augustinian holding crucifix garlanded with lilies
• Augustinian with a star above him
• Augustinian with a star on his breast
• basket with bread rolls
• crucifix garlanded with lilies
• lily

Readings

The heavens are not pure in the sight of Him Whom I serve; how then shall I, a sinful man, stand before Him? – Saint Nicholas