St. Nicholas — The Catholic Bishop Who Punched a Heretic in the Face

Everyday Saints: A Catholic Podcast · Aug 6, 2026 · 17m · transcript

In this episode of Everyday Saints, a Catholic podcast telling real saint stories in plain, everyday language, we tell the true story behind the man you already think you know: St. Nicholas of Myra. Before he was Santa Claus, he was an orphan who gave away a fortune in secret, dropping gold through windows in the dead of night so three sisters wouldn't be sold into slavery. Before that generosity ever made it into a Christmas poem, Nicholas spent years imprisoned and tortured for his faith during the Roman persecution under Diocletian — and years after that, according to church tradition, he…