The first church on the site was probably built in the 6th century, constructed in the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum Holitorium (produce market). The stones and columns of ancient pagan temples, and a jail (carcer), were reused in building of the church.
The church was rebuilt in 1599, and given a new facade, but the medieval campanile (originally a fortified tower, and then adapted to a bell tower) was left unchanged. Stairs under the altar lead down to the crypt and to the base of the former pagan temples.
Recycled materials from all these ancient ruins are evident in the construction of the church, most notably the columns from the Temple of Juno Sospita which are incorporated into the sides of the church.
Here are the traditional seven hills of ancient Rome, although still additional hills, such as the Vatican Hill and the Janiculum Hill, became incorporated into the city over time.
This church was eventually dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra (pronounced Meer-ah) when the Greek immigrants living in this area of Rome prevailed upon the pope. St Nicholas was a favorite saint in the east. So let's take a look at the life of the wonderful saint from whom the church takes its name.
Nicholas was born in the late third century in the Greek village of Patara on the southern coast of what is now Turkey. His wealthy parents, raised him as a devout Christian, but they died in an epidemic while he was a youth. He was still only a young adult when a most unusual thing happened.
After the former bishop's death, the other bishops in the province gathered to select the next bishop for Myra, as was customary in those days. During the days that the bishops were together in Myra, one wise bishop heard a voice in the night telling him to watch the doors of the church the next morning at Matins. The first person to enter named "Nicholas" was to be the new bishop. The following morning he told the others of his dream, and counseled them to pray while he waited at the doors.
The first person to arrive that morning was a young man. When asked his name, he replied, "I am Nicholas." The bishop bowed slightly, "Nicholas, servant and friend of God, for your holiness you shall be bishop of this place." Then the bishops brought him into the church, placed him on the bishop's seat and consecrated him as the new Bishop of Myra.
Bishop Nicholas was a man of great faith in the Providence of God. There was a famine in Myra in 311 & 312, and again in 333. Crops had failed and there was great hunger. The Bishop of Myra learned that ships bound for Alexandria with wheat were anchored in the local harbor. He hastened to the dock, and begged the sailors to donate a small amount of grain from each ship for the people of Myra. The sailors refused since the wheat was measured and would have to be accounted for. The bishop replied, "Do this, and I promise, in the truth of God, that it shall not be lessened or diminished when you get to your destination."
Such was his sanctity, that the sailors believed him, took out a measure from each ship for the city of Myra, and then continued on their way. When the wheat was unloaded in Alexandria, the sailors were astonished to find that the full amount of wheat was accounted for. Throughout the famine people came to the Bishop for wheat, and he gave to all who were in need. The grain lasted two years until new crops were ready.
Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that the good Bishop of Myra, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper, confronting him with the crime. As the bishop prayed earnestly to God, the three young men were restored to life. In some versions of this legend, there are 3 children instead, and they are lured from their play by an evil butcher, who slaughtered them and placed them in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them as ham.
The good bishop, visiting the region to care for the hungry, saw through the butcher's crime, restored the boys to life and returned them to their families.
Notice the little images of Mary and Jesus returning Nicholas' symbols of the bishop's office - see story below
"St Nicholas Icon Sinai 13th century" by Unknown - Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai (Egypt) / K. Weitzmann: "Die Ikone". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Nicholas_Icon_Sinai_13th_century.jpg#/There are many wonderful stories of the good bishop of Myra. I'll relate just a few to acquaint you with the life of this most lovable of saints.
In the most famous legend about this bishop, a once wealthy merchant had a devastating business failure. The now penniless man had three daughters, but could not afford a proper dowry for them. In that age, this meant that they would remain unmarried, and without means of employment. When their father died, they would most likely become slaves or prostitutes. Still being in possession of his parents estate, and hearing of the poor man's plight, the good bishop wished to help him. Being too modest to help the man publicly, he went to his house at night and threw three bags filled with gold through the window onto the man's floor, to provide a dowry for the daughters.
In another version of the story, Bishop Nicholas throws one purse in the window for each of three consecutive nights, while in still another version he throws the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes of age. The third time, the father lies in wait, in order to discover their benefactor. In one account, the father confronts the saint, only to have the bishop say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, the bishop learns of the poor man's plan to learn his identity, and drops the third bag down the chimney instead.
Over time, people of Myra began to suspect that their good bishop was behind a large number of anonymous gifts to the poor, using the inheritance from his wealthy parents. After he died, the people in his region continued to give to the poor anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra - the beginning of an ongoing tradition.
In 325, Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council. More than 300 bishops from all over the Christian world, as far away as Britain, came to discuss the nature of the Holy Trinity, and resolve the questions about the relationship between the Father and the Son. This was the most pressing theological question of the early Church. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, had taught that Jesus was a creature, and not equal to God the Father. This Arian controversy had shaken the very foundations of early Christianity.
According to one account of the Council, when confronted by the obstinate Arius, who refused to recant his heresy, Nicholas slapped him in the face. In response to such a breach of decorum, Constantine stripped Nicholas of his bishop's ring, his book of the Gospels, his stole, miter and crozier, and pronounced him no longer a bishop. He was then thrown in prison. During the night, according to legend, Jesus, with his Mother Mary, appeared to Nicholas, bringing the book of the Gospels, bishop's stole and the other symbols of his office which had been taken from him. When he appeared at the council the following morning in possession of all the symbols of the bishops office, Emperor Constantine did not dare to refuse to reinstate him. If you are ever looking at an icona dn wondering if it is St. Nicholas, look for small images of our Lord and Our Lady in the upper right and left corners returning the symbols of the bishop's office. It they are there you are gazing on the face of St. Nicholas! You can scroll back up to the photo of the icon above to see what I am talking about. Icons are are not just "pictures". They are always "written" for a feast day, and tell the story of the saint or event.
Saint Nicholas died on December 6, 343, bearing the scars of a confessor and survivor of the persecutions of Diocletian, having been an actor in the great Council of Nicea, old and venerable, beloved by all. After his death, the miracles and charity of the dear bishop, who was the protector of widows and children and the poor, as well as the defender of orthodoxy, did not cease. Some said the strange happenings were because his goodness inspired others to be generous and loving in imitation of their beloved bishop. Others said that truly there were miracles. A oily substance was found to exude from his bones lying in the crypt of the church, and healings were not infrequent.
Here is a story about one of the strange happenings in Myra: Many years after his death, the people of Myra were celebrating the saint on his feast day when a band of Arab pirates came into their town. They stole treasures from the Church, looted the shops, and as they were leaving town, snatched a young boy, Basilios, to take as a slave. When they returned to their country, their emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his cup-bearer, since he did not know the language, and would not understand what the king said to those around him.
For the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, that year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the feast day of the old bishop approached again, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, but had a simple prayer service at home for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was serving the emir, he suddenly found himself caught up in the presence of the good bishop, who blessed the terrified boy, and brought him back to his home in Myra, still holding the king's golden cup. Needless to say, Basilios and his parents were a bit awed by the experience.
In life and in death, St Nicholas seemed to have no lack of ability to bestow good things on all who approached him for aid. He became the patron saint of Russia, of sailors, and of all children everywhere. The last story I will tell you is about Bishop Nicholas's last voyage. He had been dead for over 600 years, when this story took place. It happened like this:
Myra and and all of Asia Minor eventually came under the Islamic control of the Seljuk Turks. Making pilgrimages to the tomb of St. Nicholas became difficult and dangerous for Christians. In 1087, merchants from Venice and Bari in Italy financed a grand pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Nicholas in Myra, but the real purpose of the pilgrimage was to break into the crypt, kidnap the bones of the good bishop, and carry them back to Italy, where they could be protected from the raiding Turks. They accomplished this in spite of the protest of the Christians of Myra.
In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari, Italy succeeded in spiriting away the bones of St. Nicholas, bringing them to Bari, on the southeast coast of Italy. On the way back to Italy, the sailors stopped and built a beautiful casket for the relics, so that they sailed into Bari with great ceremony, delivering the saint to his new resting place.
A church was soon built over St. Nicholas' crypt and has been a popular site for pilgrimage ever since, to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his charity, his compassion, and his generosity, and had blessed so many with the miracles attributed to his intercession. Over the next century a magnificent bascilica was built over the crypt of St. Nicholas. To the amazement of everyone, in the tomb at Bari, his bones continued to exude manna, just as they had in Myra, and with the same healing properties.
If you would like to visit a whole website to find out more about the venerable St Nicholas go here.
The collect church for today is Sant'Angelo in Pescheria
Tomorrow we will return to St Peter's in the Vatican for the Lord's Day. You will have a most amazing experience. We will plunge down below the basilica to the Scavi, into 2000 years of pagan and Christian history.
And we will see the bones of St Peter . . . . .