Artists represent the “Wonderworker” more than any other saint, with the exception of Mary, Mother of our Lord. What made him so beloved, worldwide, these past 1700 years? By the late middle ages, more than 400 churches were dedicated in his honor in England alone. He is the patron of Russia and other countries, and patron of sailors, merchants, scholars, bakers, prisoners and children. His remains, now in Bari, Italy, are incorrupt. They ooze sweet-smelling myrrh that offers restoration of health. This “manna of St. Nicholas” continues to flow today.
