Notice of Special Permission for Ministry

To all God’s Beloved in Minnesota,

I am writing today to share the jolly news that, after careful prayer and consultation with wise advisors,  I have granted special permission to one Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, to visit and travel throughout the Diocese of Minnesota in the coming month. This permission is effective today, and will continue through the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 2023. 

In the earliest days of the church, the public role of a bishop was to be a “friend of the poor,” a sign and reminder of how Jesus draws particularly close to those who are poor, forgotten, oppressed, and cast aside. The Bishop of Myra’s ministry is a powerful reminder of the call all of us have to join Jesus with those on the margins. He has a particular commitment to the care and nurture of children, who, during his tenure in Myra, were among the most marginalized and therefore closest to the heart of Jesus. 

His visitation schedule will be unpredictable and erratic. He will generally be about bringing merriment and joy, ho-ho-hoing his way across Minnesota’s vast beauty, from Marshall to Grand Marais, Warroad to Winona, and everywhere between. As a friend of the poor, he will keep no regular residence, but may occasionally be found slipping bags of gold coins through the windows of people in difficult spots, delivering gifts to children, or leaving candy and other treats in shoes that are left outside doors. Because he does not seek worldly glory and simply ministers from the well of endless generosity that forms in a heart rooted in Jesus, he will often conduct his ministry in secret, and without being seen or heard. However, he tells me he would be ever so grateful for gifts of bars and milk you might leave for him at some prominent spot in your home when he visits. 

He has made a list, and assured me that he has checked it twice, of all the people and faith communities in our diocese who have been naughty, and those who have been nice. I hope that you will join me in welcoming Bishop Nicholas among us, and that we can seek together to follow his model of service, generosity, joy, and love. 

Given under my hand and seal, in the city of Minneapolis, on the Sixth Day of December, 2022, I am very faithfully yours,

The Rt. Rev. Craig Loya
Nicholas' (and Jesus') Little Helper