Nicolò Politi

Saint Nicolò Politi was born in Adrano, Sicily, in 1117, the only child of noble parents. Gifted in learning and deeply prayerful from an early age, he longed to belong to God alone. When his parents arranged a marriage to secure the family line, Nicolò fled on the eve of the wedding, choosing the hidden path of consecrated life. Guided to the Basilian monks, he entered the convent of Santa Maria del Rogato, and soon embraced an even more radical calling as a hermit on Mount Calanna. For decades he lived in a mountain cave in severe asceticism, returning each weekend to the monastery for confession and the Eucharist. His holiness was accompanied by signs and wonders—springs of water, protection from wild beasts, and steadfast victory over temptation—so that even in solitude he became a beacon of faith for many. Forewarned of his death, he received the sacraments on the Assumption and died at dawn on August 17, 1167, clasping a crucifix. He is honored as patron of Adrano and Alcara li Fusi. His feast day is May 3.