Prayer:
O Lord, you gave Blessed Nicholas a special grace for preaching your word and for obtaining the salvation of his neighbors.  With the help of his prayers may we stand firm in that same holy calling.

Alternate Life from:

Short Lives of the Dominican Saints
by a Sister of the Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena (Stone)
Edited, with introduction by
The Very Rev. Father Procter, STL,
Provincial of the English Dominicans
"Christi pia gratia Santos sublimavit,
Quos Patris Dominici Ordo propagavit ;
Nos eorum meritis petimus juvari,
Atque suis precibus Deo commendari."
London - Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd.
Paternoster House, Charing Cross Road - 1901

This great servant of God was born of noble parents Feb. 14 in the year 1197, at Giovinazzo, near Bari, in the kingdom of Naples, and from his earliest childhood gave token of his future holiness.

Being sent to study at the University of Bologna, he there received the habit of the Order of Preachers from the hands of Saint Dominic himself. The Holy Patriarch conceived a singular affection for his young disciple, and often made him his companion in his apostolic journeyings. While yet a novice, he was inspired to stop a poor woman in the street, in spite of the remonstrances of his companions, and, invoking the Holy Trinity, he cured her of a withered arm. This may be called a "beginning of miracles," for his subsequent labours and preachings were accom­panied by continual signs and wonders.

Soon after his entrance into the Order he was sent to preach in his own country, where he founded the Convent of Trani on a site miraculously indicated by the appearance of a fiery cross. He became Provincial of the Roman Province; and, on occasion of his ele­vation to that dignity, he assembled the Brethren in Chapter and earnestly exhorted them to live together in the bonds of peace and fraternal charity. In order to give additional weight to his words, he related to them the following incident :

A certain Brother," said he, " had given me trouble, and was undoubtedly in the wrong. He died a few days afterwards without having made any apology. Now, one night when I chanced to be sick and was resting a little, he appeared to me in a dream and begged my pardon. Knowing that he was dead, I said to him, ' Go, Brother, and ask pardon of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose hands thou art.' He withdrew, and as he was asking pardon of Our Lord, according to my bidding, the Divine Master said to him, I will not forgive thee till thou hast obtained the pardon of the Religious whom thou didst offend.' He returned the same night, and informing me of what Jesus Christ had said, he once more asked my pardon, which was readily granted him. Then he said to me, See, Brother Nicholas, what an evil thing it is to offend one of our Brethren, and what serious results ensue from not apologizing.' "

Blessed Nicholas discharged his duties as Provincial with the utmost prudence, wisdom, and sweetness. He drew many to the Order who were renowned for their learning and piety, and who established nume­rous Convents. He himself was the founder of the celebrated Convent of Perugia, remarkable for being afterwards the scene of the canonization both of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and Saint Peter Martyr.

In his capacity of Provincial of the Roman Pro­vince, he assisted at the General Chapter of Bologna, A.D. 1233, at which took place the solemn translation of the relics of our Holy Father, Saint Dominic. The night before the ceremony, as Blessed Nicholas was reflecting on what was about to be done, not without a certain anxiety as to the results, a venerable old man appeared to him in a vision, saying to him those words of the Psalmist, "This man shall receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Saviour." The prediction was fully verified when, on the following day, Blessed Nicholas witnessed the prodigies whereby God was pleased to honour the remains of His faithful servant.

He was himself a most eloquent preacher and untiring in his apostolic labours. On one occasion, when he was preaching in the Cathedral of Brescia before a great concourse of people, two dissolute young men disturbed the audience by their profane and wicked conduct. The holy man, finding them deaf to his remonstrances, left the church, and, ascending a neighbouring hill, called aloud, "Since men are so hardened as to reject the word of God, come, ye birds of heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; come and listen to it." Instantly countless flocks of birds, large and small, gathered round him, arranged themselves in rows on the grass, and listened with every sign of attention, whilst the preacher addressed them for a good space. Then he gave them his blessing, as though to dismiss them, and they dispersed in all directions.

A worthy son of Saint Dominic, Blessed Nicholas had always cherished a tender devotion to the Holy Mother of God. A few days before his death Brother Rao, a fervent disciple of the Holy Patriarch, who had been dead many years, appeared to him, saying, "Dearest Brother, our Lady sends you word to pre­pare yourself, for the crown of glory is now ready for you." Blessed Nicholas died the death of the Saints in the autumn of A.D. 1255. It pleased God to manifest the sanctity of His faithful servant by many miracles. He received religious veneration from the time of his death, and was beatified by Leo XII., A.D. 1828.

Prayer:
Mercifully infuse into us, O God, the spirit of Blessed Nicholas, Your Confessor, that, as You did adorn him with singular grace for the preaching of Your word and procuring the salvation of his neighbour, so You would grant us, through his prayers, ever to remain constant in the same holy vocation.