Disability, saints, and the need to feel seen

Disability, saints, and the need to feel seen

This post about saints with disabilities is based on a presentation I gave to parents and clergy at the St. Nicholas program of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in June 2023. The St. Nicholas program is a camping experience for children with disabilities and their...
St. Nicholas takes the executioner’s sword

St. Nicholas takes the executioner’s sword

Nicholas had learned, in the emperor’s prison, to sleep through the sounds of screams and shouts and blows. But that was years ago, and now the sound seeped through, disturbing his sleep. He rolled over without opening his eyes. And then he heard his name. He was...
Have a St. Nicholas party in July!

Have a St. Nicholas party in July!

If you’re looking for something fun to do with your little ones this month, I have just the thing: The Nativity of St. Nicholas falls on July 29. You can have a party to celebrate St. Nicholas’s birthday! Here are three different St. Nicholas party themes for...
Looking for the real St. Nicholas

Looking for the real St. Nicholas

The stores are already filled with ornaments and decorations that feature a man with a big white beard, dressed all in red. He might have children with him, or a bag of toys. There might be Christmas trees in the background. There might be elves. Who is this man? How...
St. Nicholas, Thursday prayers, and pirates

St. Nicholas, Thursday prayers, and pirates

The life of the Orthodox Church is carried through cycles of worship and prayer. If you follow these cycles, you’ll encounter St. Nicholas over and over. He has three feast days on the annual cycle of fixed feasts. And he’s also commemorated every Thursday, during the...
Three boys in a pickling tub

Three boys in a pickling tub

In Medieval Europe, the most common image of St. Nicholas shows him standing over three small children in a wooden tub. The image illustrates an odd story that was told and believed for centuries. The story began as the story of the three innocent men whom St....