The Manna of Saint Nicholas
from the Basilica Pontificia San Nicola, Bari, Italy
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The manna of St. Nicholas is the water that formed in the tomb of the Saint and which was already forming in the Basilica of Myra. Two contemporary accounts (by Nicephorus and John the Archdeacon) state that the relics were floating in a sacred liquid when the people of Bari seized them. Over the centuries, different terms have been used, such as oleum, oil or unguentum (the Russians say myro , and the Greeks myron). In reality, it is a water (analyzed in 1925 by the Chemistry Laboratory of the University of Bari) of particular purity, the origin of which is explained differently. Some consider it a true miracle and, as emphasized in some liturgies, it flows from the Saint's bones (other liturgies say from the marbles of the tomb). The argument put forward, aside from the Myra tradition, is the observation that the bones remain completely closed throughout the year, and that the hole is only opened on the evening of May 9th in the presence of a large crowd. Others, however, believe it to be a chemical phenomenon similar to vaporous condensation, and in any case, a natural phenomenon.
The block at the base slopes slightly toward the center, which allows for the collection of the Holy Manna. The Dominican Fathers, to whom the Holy See entrusted the Basilica in 1951, have chosen a discreet approach. Devotion has not been abolished, as the water that forms in the tomb is indeed a relic, having been in contact with the Saint's bones. Many faithful have claimed to have received consolation from it. On the other hand, it is not encouraged, to prevent aspects of personal faith from being misinterpreted as universal and necessary.
It should be noted, however, that the water distributed in small bottles in the Offering Hall is not the water that formed in the Saint's tomb over the course of a year. In fact, an average quantity of half a liter or slightly more is normally collected, and therefore, out of thousands of devotees, very few would be satisfied. The water distributed comes from large bottles of holy water, into which the “manna” collected on May 9th was poured.
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From the Basilica Pontificia San Nicola, Bari, Italy. Used by permission.