Saint Nicholas

Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor Saint Nicholas. Historically, we are only certain that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor. Very little is known about the historical Saint Nicholas. The earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death and contain legendary elaborations. One of the best-known stories about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus making it possible for the daughters to be married.