Through the centuries, many stories and legends of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds have been written. The real Nicholas was born in 271AD in a place called Asia Minor, now Turkey. Legend reminds us that he was someone, who was kind and generous to every- one. He was chosen to be a bishop and began shepherding his people with that same kindness and concern, feeding the hungry and helping people in any kind of trouble. It was said that he al-
ways showed his people the way to love God and care for each other. It was because of this life of total dedication that he was raised to sainthood.
Everyone loved St. Nicholas and continued to tell inspiring stories, especially about his special care for children, helping and protecting them when danger threatened. These stories spread to many countries in Europe. Various types of small gift-giving and religious celebrations reminded the people of some- one known for his love of God and God’s people. As more and more people heard about this good bishop with a very positive influence on people, they began to imitate his generous deeds. After all these years, we still tell and re- tell interesting legends about St. Nicholas and honor him on his feast day on December 6th each year. Although St. Nicholas was a true gift-giver and is of- ten looked upon as the traditional beginning of Santa Claus today, his legacy is even more meaningful — he gave to those in need from his deep-down love of God and God’s people.
Please join us to celebrate St. Nicholas on Sunday, December 8th, after the 9 and 11am Masses in the Gathering Space. St. Nicholas will be there to greet the children. There will be little gifts for the children, including a prayer card, candy cane and a bible verse coin. The event will be hosted by the Saint Anne Women’s Club.