Let’s make St. Nicholas the Patron Saint of Missing Children

Many of the stories about St. Nicholas tell of him rescuing children from tragedy and returning them to the care of their families. The most famous of these stories took place in the town of Myra, Lycia, in the fourth century. While it’s possible that this story is a mere legend, it’s probable that it has its roots in fact. The story goes that there was a very poor man with three daughters. In an act of desperation, he sold one of his daughters so that there would be enough money for his family to live on. Even though he knew it was an evil thing to do, he couldn’t think of any other way out of his predicament. St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra at the time and heard of this heartbreaking situation.

St. Nicholas wanted to help the man understand the wrong he had done and to help him and his daughters without drawing any attention to himself, so he devised a plan. The night before the man was to sell his daughter, St. Nicholas waited until the family had gone to bed and then quietly made his way to the poor family’s house. Keeping out of sight, he crept up to the window and tossed into it enough money for the family to get by without selling the daughter. Then he returned to his own home. You can imagine the family’s delight and surprise upon finding the bag coins in the morning!

The good fortune did not last for long, however, and sometime later St. Nicholas heard that the man was planning to sell the second of his daughters after the first had married and moved away. In an act of Christian charity, St. Nicholas again crept up to the family’s house in the middle the night and tossed a bag of coins into the window. Of course, the family was exuberant in the morning when they discovered the kindness that had that had been done for them.

Sometime later, the man again found himself in a desperate financial situation and considered selling his remaining daughter. This time, however, the man expected a visit from the secretive stranger and waited up to see who it was. When the stranger approached the house, the man chased him into the streets, eventually overtaking him. When St. Nicholas turned his face, the man saw that it was his bishop and his heart was immediately moved to repentance and conversion. The bishop forgave the wayward man but admonished him to never reveal his identity.

While the details of the various stories may be inaccurate, it is certain that St. Nicholas loved and cared for children during his earthly life and from heaven. So it’s easy to see why he has been named the patron saint of children. I’d like to propose that we expand his role.

Whenever I hear of an abused or missing child, I turn to St. Nicholas for intervention and intercession on the child’s behalf. Tragically, the exploitation of children globally has increased to astronomical numbers. Even one missing child is one too many, but the hundreds of thousands that go missing throughout the world annually is heartbreaking. Add to that the children who may not be missing but are abused by people they know. According to the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 460,000 children are reported missing in the United states alone every year. All those little hearts pleading for love and protection!

Perhaps we might consider naming St. Nicholas not just the patron saint of children, but specifically patron saint of missing and exploited children. Whenever we hear or read about a child in distress we could utter a simple prayer such as, “St. Nicholas, please save that child!” Surely he will act to preserve the child from harm as he did in the legend of the three daughters. If we did this collectively, it would be one small step toward slowing down and eventually stopping the evil of child trafficking which is more dangerous and widespread than most people realize. It’s also a way for us to participate in the rescue even though we may not be able to lend hands-on help. Remember, too, to pray for those who search for and rescue these children because their mission is a most difficult one. Our prayers for them are much needed.

On this feast of St. Nicholas, we give thanks to God for this wonderful saint who loved and protected children. We remember the children in our lives as well as those who are in desperate situations. If we open our hearts and lift our voices to heaven, grace will abound.

Children’s Prayer to St. Nicholas

God our Father, pray that through the intercession of St. Nicholas, you will protect our children. Keep them safe from harm and help them grow and become worthy of our sight. Give them strength to keep their faith in you and to keep alive their joy in your creation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.