One night in an Augustinian convent, a friar named Nicholas woke to a voice in the dark. It was a deceased brother, pleading from purgatory: “Offer the Holy Mass for us, so that by Christ’s sacrifice, we may be set free.”
Nicholas offered the Eucharist for seven consecutive days. At the week’s end, the friar returned—rejoicing alongside a great multitude of souls, now ascending into eternal glory with God.
This event cemented Nicholas’s lifelong spiritual focus on praying for the departed.
In 1884, Pope Leo XIII officially proclaimed him the Patron Saint of the Holy Souls in Purgatory
On September 3, 1305, Nicholas was placed before his bed with an image of the Madonna, and for three days he remained in a state of prayer.the occasion was marked by a deep preparation for death, and according to the tradition, it was accompanied by particular episodes that showed the great faith with which Nicholas awaited the moment of meeting God.According to tradition, a mysterious star shone over Tolentino earning him the title “The Saint of the Star”
For centuries, his resting place remained hidden. But in 1345, when an attempt was made to steal his relics, his arms were severed. Tradition recounts that the severed arms miraculously began to bleed—preventing the thief from escaping. Known as the “Holy Arms,” they bled repeatedly down the centuries, leaving behind documented testaments of faith.
Finally, in 1926, the Saint’s lost body was discovered beneath the sanctuary. Reunited with the revered Holy Arms, Nicholas rests today in the crypt of the Basilica in Tolentino.
On this feast day, September 10th, the Church remembers: through prayer, sacrifice, and the Holy Mass, the mercy of God crosses even the boundary of death.
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