St. Nicholas

Patron Saint of Sailors, Merchants, and Children

St. Nicholas of Bari was the Bishop of Myra in the fourth century; he eventually became the namesake of Santa Claus. Born into a wealthy family, he was left with a large inheritance after his parents’ early death. He sought to use this inheritance for works of charity, and the first of these accounts came when he threw a bag of gold into a poor man’s window. He is a patron saint of sailors, merchants, and children.

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” -St. Nicholas of Bari