Saint Nicholas of Tolentino
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino (born c. September 1245 AD in Sant'Angelo in Pontano, Marche, Italy; died September 10, 1305 AD in Tolentino, Marche, Italy) was an Italian Augustinian hermit who spent the last 30 years of his life in the town of Tolentino in the Marche region of central Italy. He was known for extraordinary devotion to the souls in Purgatory, his miraculous ministry to the sick and poor, and for the "bread of Saint Nicholas" — blessed bread distributed to the sick. He is credited with being the first saint to receive a formal canonization ceremony in the modern sense. His feast day is September 10.
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| Saint Nicholas of Tolentino | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 10 |
| Profession | Augustinian hermit; preacher; confessor; mystic; minister to the poor and sick |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Augustinian Hermits (OSA); Tolentino; Marche; devotion to souls in Purgatory; blessed bread |
| Patronage | Souls in Purgatory; mariners; animals (sometimes); the dying; Tolentino; the Marche region; Order of Augustinian Hermits; sick animals (blessed bread tradition extends to animals in some local customs) |
| Attributes | Augustinian habit; star on chest (a star allegedly appeared over his cell when he died); lily (purity); bread (blessed bread); crucifix; souls in Purgatory flames below; his arms in a golden reliquary |
| Birthplace | Sant'Angelo in Pontano, Marche, Italy |
| Death Place | Tolentino, Marche, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death after a long illness; he died September 10, 1305, in Tolentino, fasting and praying to the end; he had been gravely ill for about a year before his death; he predicted the day of his death |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Tolentino, Marche, Italy — his tomb beneath the high altar; the incorrupt brachial relics (arms) in a golden reliquary; Gothic frescoes of his life in the Cappellone; one of Italy's principal pilgrimage sites; blessed bread distributed on his feast day; active pilgrimage continuously since 1305 |
| Liturgical Class | Memorial (Roman Rite); September 10; Feast in the Order of Augustinian Hermits; Feast in Tolentino and the Marche |
| Historic Class | Double (September 10) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Nicholas was born c. 1245 in Sant'Angelo in Pontano, Marche, Italy. His parents had prayed at the shrine of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Bari for a child and named him Nicholas in thanksgiving. He entered the Augustinian order at a young age.
Around 1275 he was assigned to the Augustinian community in Tolentino, Marche, where he remained for the rest of his life. He preached in the streets, visited the sick and imprisoned, and distributed blessed bread to the sick, who were often healed. He spent long hours praying for souls in Purgatory.
He died in Tolentino on September 10, 1305 — the feast day that later bore his name.
After his death, his arms were severed from his body during the early examination of his relics in 1345 and reportedly bled. They were preserved in a golden reliquary and remain one of the most unusual relic traditions in the Church.
Pope Eugene IV canonized him on June 5, 1446, after a cause that had taken 141 years.
Significant locations
Legend
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Nicholas of Tolentino have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| A Beautiful and Inspiring Story of St. Nicholas of Tolentino || Feast Day : Sept. 10 | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Prayer for a Deceased Person in Honor of St. Nicholas of Tolentino | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor - September 10th | Under 5 minutes | Saint of the Day |
Shrines
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Known shrines
- Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Tolentino — his tomb and relics; principal shrine; blessed bread distributed.
Feast day
September 10
Veneration
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino is venerated as the patron of souls in Purgatory and for the tradition of blessed bread bearing his name. His basilica in Tolentino is one of central Italy's principal pilgrimage sites. His feast is September 10.
Prayers
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