St. Jude Thaddaeus

St. Jude, also known as Thaddaeus, was the brother of St. James the Lesser and a relative of Jesus. According to ancient sources, he spread the Gospel across Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya. Eusebius records that he returned to Jerusalem in the year 62 to take part in the election of his brother St. Simeon as Bishop of Jerusalem.

He is traditionally credited as the author of an epistle addressed to the Churches of the East, especially to Jewish converts, warning them against the false teachings of the Simonians, Nicolaites, and Gnostics. St. Jude is believed to have been martyred in Armenia, which was then under Persian rule. Armenia’s full conversion to Christianity took place only in the third century.

During the Last Supper, St. Jude asked Jesus why He would reveal Himself only to His disciples and not to the entire world after His resurrection. Though little else is known about his life, tradition suggests that he also visited Beirut and Edessa.

He was martyred in Persia, beaten with a club and later beheaded. His relics are preserved in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, as well as in Rheims and Toulouse, France.

St. Jude Thaddaeus must not be confused with Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus and fell into despair. Because his New Testament letter emphasizes perseverance in times of great trial, St. Jude has become known as the patron saint of desperate and impossible causes, forgotten situations, hospitals and hospital workers, and the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida.

In art, he is usually shown as a bearded man holding an oar, a club, an axe, a book, or a boat hook. He often wears a medallion bearing the image of Christ, and a small flame appears above his head, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. His feast day is celebrated on October 28 in the Roman Church and on June 19 in the Eastern Church.

St. Simon the Zealot

Very little is known about Saint Simon after Pentecost. Referred to as “the Zealot,” he is believed to have preached in Egypt before joining St. Jude in Persia, where, according to tradition, he was martyred by being cut in half with a saw, a symbol frequently associated with him in art. However, according to St. Basil the Great, a fourth century Church Father, Simon may have instead died peacefully in Edessa.