St. Peter

- Feast day – June 29
- Fisherman, brother of St. Andrew
- Originally called Simon, Jesus named him Peter because he was the “rock-like foundation” on which the Church would be built.
- Peter was the first Pope
- He preached to the Jewish people
- Peter was a martyr. He was crucified head down because he said that he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ.
- St. Peter is one of the patron saints of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

St. Andrew

- Feast Day – November 30
- Fisherman; brother of St. Peter
- Called the “first Apostle”
- Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist
- He was a missionary in Greece
- Andrew was martyred on a saltire
- St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland
and unmarried women

St. James the Greater

- Feast Day – July 25
- Fisherman; brother of John
- James was a cousin of Jesus
- He was a disciple of John the Baptist
- James the Greater was present during most of the miracles of Jesus
- He was the first Apostle to be martyred, stabbed at the order of King Herod Agrippa
- St. James the Greater is a patron of arthritis sufferers and veterinarians

St. James the Lesser

- Feast day – May 3
- Brother of Jude; cousin of Jesus
- James the Lesser was the first Bishop of Jerusalem
- He was martyred be being beaten and stoned to death
- St. James the Lesser is a patron saint of pharmacists

St. John

- Feast Day – December 27
- Fisherman; brother of James the Greater, cousin of Jesus
- John is called the Beloved Disciple
- He was a disciple of John the Baptist
- John was the only one of the Twelve who stood at the foot of the Cross
- Jesus made him the guardian of Mary
- He preached in Jerusalem
- Martyred in Ephesus; last of the Twelve to die
- John was an Evangelist who wrote the Fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation
- Patron of writers and friendships

St. Jude Thaddeus

- Feast day – October 28
- Fisherman; brother of James the Lesser
- Son of Cleopas and Mary
- Nephew of Mary & Joseph; cousin of Jesus
- He preached in Syria and Persia with Simon
- Jude was martyred by being beaten, then beheaded
- St. Jude is a patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations

St. Matthew

- Feast day – September 21
- In the gospels, he is also called Levi
- Matthew was a tax collector
- Evangelist responsible for the gospel that appears first in the NT
- He preached among the Jewish people
- Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia
- St. Matthew is a patron of accountants and bankers

St. Bartholomew

- Feast day – August 24
- Bartholomew was brought to Jesus by his friend Philip
- He preached in Armenia and India
- He was martyred by being flayed
- St. Bartholomew is a patron saint of butchers and nervous diseas

St. Philip

- Feast day – May 3
- Philip was a disciple of John the Baptist
- He was a missionary in Asia Minor
- Martyred by hanging
- St. Philip is a patron of pastry chefs

St. Thomas

- Feast day – July 3
- St. Thomas was a carpenter
- He doubted the Resurrection of Jesus until he touched Our Lord’s wounds
- Thomas built churches as part of his mission
- He was martyred by being stabbed with a spear
- St. Thomas is a patron of architects and against doubt

St. Simon

- Feast day – October 28
- Simon was a zealot
- He preached in Egypt and Mesopotamia
- Simon was martyred by being beaten and sawed in two
- St. Simon is a patron of hide tanners

Judas Iscariot

- Judas was from Carioth, a city in Judea; he was not a Galilean like the other Apostles
- For 30 pieces of silver, Judas handed Jesus over to the authorities in Jerusalem. This led to Jesus’ arrest.
- Judas hung himself because he despaired that Jesus would not forgive him for his betrayal.

St. Matthias

- Feast day – May 14
- He took the place of Judas as one of the Twelve
- Matthias preached in Judea, Egypt, and Ethiopia
- He was a martyr, believed to have been either crucified or stoned
- St. Matthias is a patron of alcoholics

St. Paul

- Feast day – June 29. Paul shares this Feast Day with Peter as co-founder of the Church
- Paul had been a Pharisee and a tent-maker
- He was called Saul, and had persecuted Christians
- He converted after meeting the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus; his name was changed to Paul
- He preached in many places, and wrote 14 Epistles
- Paul was martyred by being beheaded in Rome
- St. Paul is a patron of evangelists, authors, and
public relations

St. Mary Magdalen

- Feast Day – July 22
- Mary Magdalen was a friend and follower of Jesus
- She is not named as the “sinful woman” in scripture, though traditionally thought to be the woman who repented
- Mary Magdalen stood at the foot of the Cross with Mary and John the Beloved Disciple
- She was the first to see the Risen Christ
- The Church calls Mary Magdalen the “Apostle to the Apostles” because she was sent by Jesus to tell the others that he had risen from the dead.
- St. Mary Magdalen is a patron of hairdressers and
of a contemplative life

TERMS

1. apostle – one who is sent; one given a mission by God
2. contemplative – thoughtful and meditative
3. epistles – letters about Jesus written to different groups; found in the New Testament
4. evangelist – one who writes about the life of Jesus
5. flay – to remove skin with a knife
6. martyr – one who dies for their belief
7. missionary – a person with a religious task; one whose job is to serve others
8. Pharisee – in Jesus’ time, the Pharisees believed in strict observance of Jewish law
9. repent – to turn away from sin and ask for forgiveness
10. saltire – an X-shaped cross
11. witness – someone whose life gives testimony to his or her beliefs
12. zealot – one devoted to a cause; in the time of Jesus, the Zealots were expecting the messiah to lead a military revolt.