September 10 - Saint Nicholas of Tolentino
Quick Facts- His middle-aged parents, Compagnonus de Guarutti and Amata de Guidiani, were childless until a prayerful visit to a shrine of the original Saint Nicholas at Bari, Italy.
- In gratitude, they named their son Nicholas.
- Augustinian friar at age 18, and a student with Blessed Angelus de Scarpetti.
- Monk at Recanati and Macerata.
- Ordained at age 25.
- Canon of Saint Saviour's.
- Had visions of angels reciting ""to Tolentino""; he took this as a sign to move to that city in 1274, where 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.
- 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 Mary, Augustine 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 it, and it flew out a window.
- Nine passengers on ship going down at sea once asked Nicholas' aid; 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.
