How did St. Nicholas become a saint?

Answer 1

Quite simply, he was a good man who followed Christ. But there is much more to it than that.

St Nicholas was born in Greece (now part of southern Turkey) during the third century. He was brought up in a devout Christian family, and his parents taught him values of selflessness and self-sacrifice. Nicholas was especially known for his generosity to people in need (he had a reputation for secretly giving to the poor), his love for children, and his concern for sailors who often worked under some difficult conditions.

Nicholas was persecuted for his faith under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He was imprisoned a number of years for his faith. Once free again he devoted his life to helping the poor, sometimes secretly dropping gold coins into the homes of the needy. He is credited with bringing three murdered young boys back to life who had been stuffed into a barrel of salt brine.

Nicholas died on 6 December 343. A legend began which stated that, after his death, manna (the nutritious substance God miraculously provided for sustenance for the Israelites during their 40 year desert sojourn) formed upon his grave. This manna was said to have healing properties, spawning a new era of pious devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, and of course came to be known as St Nicholas Day.

St Nicholas was never actually officially canonised, as this was not a common practice in the early church, being only instituted in the 12th century. It was common custom in those days for his devoted followers to simply spread word of his generosity and righteousness, thereby creating a larger following. By the Middle Ages, he came to be venerated as "people's saint", and churches and villages were named after him. Thus, his "evolution" into sainthood occurred over a period of hundreds of years.

According to some sources, it is likely that Nicholas would have been acclaimed a saint by those who knew him to a local bishop who then would have approved the petition.