All My Saints and Martyrs - St. Nicholas and Many More

St. George and the Dragon makes me think of St. Patrick and the Snakes, all leading me to wonder if each patron saint of the UK battled a reptile or dinosaur of some sort in his earthly career.

That is not the fact of the matter, but it emerges that England has or had several interesting patron saints. Some are nationally known, while others had been the saints of cities and other regions of the realm.

England's National Patron Saints

• Edmund the Martyr - Patron saint of some kings, pandemics, torture victims, wolves, the Roman Catholic diocese of East Anglia, the English county of Suffolk, Douai Abbey in Woolhampton, and Toulouse, France.
• Edward the Confessor - Also the patron saint of kings. his crown is among the Crown Jewels of England.
• St. George - Not only of England, George is one of the 14 Holy Helpers and the saint of agricultural workers of all kinds, animals (domesticated), archers, armourers, boy scouts, butchers, the cavalry, chivalry, the Crusaders, equestrians, farm and field hands, farm owners, horsemen, knights, Rover Scouts, saddle makers, other scouts, shepherds, soldiers, Teutonic Knights, victims of leprosy and plague, and the policemen and firefighters of Brazil. This saint has also represented in Ethiopia; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Lithuania; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Portugal; Russia; and Serbia.

• St. Alban - St. Albans
• Aldhelm - Malmesbury
• Alcmund - Derby
• Augustine fo Canterbury
• Thomas Beckett - Canterbury and Portsmouth
• Bertelin - Stafford
• Birinus - Dorchester-on-Thames
• Botulph - Boston
• Thomas Cantilupe - Hereford
• Chad - Lichfield
• Erkenwald - City of London
• Etheldreda - Ely
• Frideswide - Oxford
• Guthac - Crowland
• Helen - Abingdon, Colchester
• Hugh of Lincoln
• James, son of Zebedee - James has been patron saint of all of: Reading, England; Santiago de Compostela in Spain; Kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa; Acoma Pueblo in USA; Haiti; Puerto Rico; Guayaquil in Ecuador; and Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. He is the saint of pharmacists and the animal-related occupations of veterinarians, equestrians, furriers, and tanners.
• Kenelm - Winchcome
• Mellitus - City of London

• Nicholas the Wonderworker or Nicholas of Myra - Patron saint of many places, incuding Bari Italy; Siggiewi, Malta; and Liverpool, England from where my ancestors set sail for America.

As a one-year-old child, I saw news footage on television about Santa's helpers and lawn and rooftop displays of cardboard and plastic Christmas figures - and how to put them together in all details. Thus, I never believed in Santa Claus and disgustedly sniped "Cardboard!" at age 1 when anyone spoke to me of him or pointed to a roof display. My father finally explained that there is a Spirit of Christmas, although he could not quite explain that to me fully at that age. However, the film Nicholas of Myra has the capacity to explain and make one believe (see the material included below).What better patron saint for Liverpool, children,and my ancestors that sailed from there?

• Osmund - Salisbury
• Oswald of Worcester
• Patrick - Boston, Engliand; NYC in USA. Patron saint of engineers.
• Paul the Apostle - City of London, England; Las Vegas USA; Poznań, Poland; Rome, Italy; São Paulo, Brazil; Valletta, Malta
• Piran - Padstow and Perranpath
• Peter the Apostle - Poznań, Poland; Rome, Italy; York, England; Birzebbugia, Malta; Sestao, Basque Country.
• Petroc - Bodmin
• Richard of Chichester - Chichester and Droitwich
• Rumwold - Buckingham
• Diswell - Exeter
• Swithun - Winchester
• Werburga - Chester
• Wilfrid - Ripon
• William of York
• Winefride - Holywell Wales and Shrewsbury. Patron saint of payroll clerks.
• Wulfstan - Worcester

Having no idea in which parts of England my ancestors lived, I do know that many sailed from Liverpool to America. Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra is the patron saint of Liverpool and a few other locales. He is also the saint of archers, children, the falsely accused, fishermen, merchants, sailors, pawnbrokers, pharmacists, prostitutes, and repentant thieves. In real life, his compassion included all of those and more.

Nicholas was a Wonderworker of God.

After many years of project research and development, Nicholas of Myra Writer and Director Gerald Hartke became even more ambitious and completed filming of a never-before-told historically accurate film biography. We know the myth that was written in the 9th Century and now Harke tells us the real story of the 3rd Century. It is even better than the fiction. Even in truth, giving to others is everything to Nicholas of Myra.

Nicholas of Myra or Nicholas the Wonderworker is played by Mathew Mesler in this new independent film of the same name. Early advertisements for the movie urge potential viewers that if they see the film, they will indeed believe in St. Nicholas.

Mesler has won acclaim for his television roles in Dawson's Creek and a PBS short entitled Tiny Magic. Director Gerald Hartke spent 6 months searching for the actor he wished to fill the role and just three days before Christmas of that year, he found Tiny Magic and his new star.

Constantine the Great is portrayed by Robert Vincent Jones, one of the producers who is from the modeling industry in print and on television. Vincent O’Neill portrays the 19th Century Dr. Clement Moore, who is studying Nicholas and acts as a narrator. O'Neill is well known for his acting and directing in Ireland and the USA. The rest of the cast is well credentialed, many from Western New York, and should prove believable and engaging.

Is mid-March 2010, sneak previews were shown to audiences at the Celebrate Santa Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Many veiwers belong to a group that dressed as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.

The audience enjoyed the historical film, which Hartke states has the magic of Santa Claus interwoven throughout. They seemed to work well together for the film's acceptance by viewers. A grassroots movement to promote the film began in 2010.