Saint Nicholas, Patron of Children

There are many patron saints for children, but perhaps the most popular is Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is a patron of many things, including entire countries, but he is especially esteemed as a patron of children, which was greatly enhanced in the 19th century when he came to be identified with the gift-giving Santa Claus of Christmas. However, with the rise of the mythical Santa Claus, there was a decline of devotion towards the real Saint Nicholas.

Saint Stylianos, the Protector of Children

By Archimandrite Haralambos D. Vasilopoulos

A Saint From His Mother's Womb

Saint Stylianos was born in Paphlagonia, Asia Minor, between 400 and 500. He was blessed even from his mother’s womb. As he grew up, by the grace of God he increasingly became a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. From childhood he displayed the rare qualities of his blessed life. When he was young and still an adolescent, although, of course, he was of the flesh, he never allowed desires to pollute his spirit and soul. He was very pure. Nor did he allow any earthly passion to dominate him. He would not permit riches and the love of wealth to permeate his soul and subject him to corruption and perdition.

Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince"

Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" may perhaps be my favorite short story for children. I was first introduced to it in elementary school, where it was shown to us on film every year, and even as a child I would be moved to tears and inspired by it.

It tells the story of a beautiful statue of a prince standing on a high pedestal. He is covered head to toe in gold leaf and for his all seeing eyes he has two beautiful saphires. All is not well with the Happy Prince, for he stands over a city that is steeped in abject poverty and here he is trapped on his pedestal unable to help the very people whom he loves with all his heart. Until along flies a swallow bound for the lands of Egypt for the winter and the swallow remains behind to help

How a Fifteen Year Old Child Martyr Shows Us the Right Path

By Fr. Elias Makos

The New Martyr John who was from Gouves in Monemvasia was a child, just fifteen years old, and his memory is celebrated on October 21st. He was made worthy to be martyred for his faith in God, and in a very tragic way.

His father was an Orthodox priest from Geraki who served with much reverence in the parish of the village of his wife called Gouves, and this is where John was born.

How To Explain Halloween to Christian Youth

By John Sanidopoulos

When I was an eighteen year old seminarian, I was asked by a local parish to do a youth seminar on Halloween about a week before October 31st. Though I never personally had any issues with Halloween, and in fact I enjoyed it, I felt like the parish wanted me to teach the normal anti-Halloween propaganda most Christians teach about it, and I decided to use that to explain what Halloween was all about from a Christian perspective. I basically prepared the material for other youth counselors, and about fifty young people were broken up into five groups of ten and discussed the material. One of these groups was led by me.