A Saint, Pope Leo, and Purgatory

Turn to St. Nicholas of Tolentino and ask for his powerful intercession, especially for his Augustinian brother, Pope Leo XIV. The job of being pope is humanly impossible, and can only be done well by the grace of God (quite literally). Pope Leo can use all the graces and prayers we can share with him!

By Fr. Dan Cambra, MIC

What is the connection between Pope Leo XIV and one of the great holy wonder-workers or miracle workers in the history of our faith,  St. Nicholas of Tolentino (1245-1305). Well, St. Nicholas was an Augustinian friar (like Pope Leo) and considered the patron of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

His feast is celebrated on Sept. 10, shortly before our 16th annual Mercy for Souls Conference at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy (details here).

Full of charity
The Augustinian Friars tell the story of St. Nicholas of Tolentino:

Nicholas Gurutti was born in 1245 in Sant’Angelo, Pontano, Macerata, Italy. His family was rather poor. He joined the Augustinian Order while a young man, after hearing the inspired preaching of Reginaldo da Monterubbiano, Prior (local superior) of the Augustinian monastery in Sant’Angelo.

As a priest and religious, he was full of charity towards his brother Augustinians as well as towards the people to whom he ministered. He visited the sick and cared for the needy. He was a noted preacher of the Gospel. He gave special attention to those who had fallen away from the Church. People considered him a miracle worker.

He often fasted and performed other works of penance. He spent long hours in prayer.

The story is told that, one day, having fasted for a long time, Nicholas was physically weak. While at prayer, Jesus told him to eat some bread marked with a cross and soaked in water in order to regain his strength.

Thus arose the Augustinian custom of blessing and distributing Saint Nicholas Bread in his memory. 

Another story relates that Nicholas, while asleep in bed, heard the voice of a deceased friar he had known. This friar told Nicholas that he was in Purgatory, and urged him to celebrate the Eucharist for him and other souls there, so that they would be set free by the power of Christ. Nicholas did so for seven days. The friar again spoke to Nicholas, thanking him and assuring him that a large number of souls were now with God. Because of this Nicholas was proclaimed patron of the souls in Purgatory. He is also considered the patron saint against epidemic disease and against fires.

During most of his adult life, Nicholas lived in Tolentine, Italy. There he died September 10, 1305. Canonized in 1446 by Pope Eugene IV, Nicholas is the first Augustinian friar to be canonized after the Grand Union of the Order of St. Augustine in 1256.

The remains of St. Nicholas are preserved at the Shrine of Saint Nicholas in the city of Tolentine.

Full of wonder
That’s the humble, simple version of his life. There are many, many more miracles where those came from. Saint Nicholas was one of the great wonder-workers of our Church, proving once again in his life that prayer, penance, and a holy life can work miracles.

You think this can’t happen today? I remind you that St. Padre Pio only died in 1968. If you practice true love of God and neighbor, you too can obtain extraordinary graces from Heaven through prayer, penance, and offering suffrages for the souls in Purgatory.

Not all of us are blessed with the spiritual gift of miracles. That’s why we less flashy members of the Body of Christ turn to the wonder-workers in prayer, asking for the intercession of great miracle workers like St. Nicholas or Padre Pio in times of need. 

Of course, these days, every day is a time of need. We need a restoration of faith in our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. We need the help of Christ and His saints to send the fire of the Holy Spirit upon the earth, and to bring peace, healing, and conversion to our present age.

Powerful graces
So turn to St. Nicholas of Tolentino and ask for his powerful intercession, especially for his Augustinian brother, Pope Leo XIV. The job of being pope is humanly impossible, and can only be done well by the grace of God (quite literally). Pope Leo can use all the graces and prayers we can share with him!

And ask St. Nicholas to reawaken in the hearts of Catholics everywhere the memory of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and a deep and abiding love for bringing them the spiritual help they require. Ask him to restore in the Church a true fervor and zeal for obtaining indulgences, offering up our prayers, and uniting our sufferings with Christ’s on the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, pray for us!
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