ACI Stampa, Dec 6, 2025 / 07:00 am

The people of Bari, a city in southern Italy, have a deep devotion to St. Nicholas, their patron saint and beloved protector.

“How can you not love St. Nicholas? And how can you not feel loved by St. Nicholas?” Father Giovanni Distante, the rector of Bari’s Pontifical Basilica of St. Nicholas, told ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner.

“The relationship between the people of Bari and St. Nicholas is one of love,” the rector continued, “a relationship that began in 1087 and continues to this day.”

It all began in 1087 when 62 brave sailors managed to rescue the relics of St. Nicholas, bringing them from the city of Myra in Asia, St. Nicholas’ hometown, to their beloved city in southern Italy, Bari, in Puglia. The Basilica of St. Nicholas was

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