How much do we really know about the lives of the Twelve Apostles? What did they do after Calvary? Where did they go?
Since the Twelve Apostles left no detailed information about themselves behind, how is it possible to gather information as to their fate? While you could search through dozens of sources and hundreds of books for information on these apostles, C. Bernard Ruffin has collected all the data in this comprehensive and engaging book. He weaves together Scripture, Tradition, and historical documents to re-create and outline the lives of each of Christ's closest followers.
"Responding to the challenge of re-creating the lives of the Twelve apostles from the barest information, he has examined the best sources available and outlines the life of each of Christ's closest followers as thoroughly and completely as it is possible to do." - Peter F. Macaluso, Ph.D.,The Cord
"His book is quite like having twelve biographies under one cover as he portrays a picture of each one, gathering information from such scholars and historians as Papias. Eusebius, lrenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and St. John Chrysostom.... Dr. Ruffin puts together a rather remarkable and thorough story about each apostle, remarkable since [the Apostles] were primarily concerned about spreading the Gospel than information about themselves." -Theology Today
About the Author A well-known writer, C. Bernard Ruffin has authored several works for Our Sunday Visitor, including The Life of Brother Andre an the bestselling book Padre Pio, Revised and Expanded.
The first Apostle. Fisherman. Brother of Simon Peter. Follower of John the Baptist. Went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. Missionary in Asia Minor and Greece, and possibly areas in modern Russia and Poland. Martyred on an saltire (x-shaped) cross, he is said to have preached for two days from it.
Some peculiar marriage-related superstitions have attached themselves to Saint Andrew's feast day.
An old German tradition says that single women who wish to marry should ask for Saint Andrew's help on the Eve of his feast, then sleep naked that night; they will see their future husbands in their dreams.
Another says that young women should note the location of barking dogs on Saint Andrew's Eve: their future husbands will come from that direction.
On the day after Andrew's feast, young people float cups in a tub; if a boy's and a girl's cup drift together and are intercepted by a cup inscribed "priest", it indicates marriage.
There are several explanations for why Andrew became the patron of Scotland.
In 345, Emperor Constantine the Great decided to translate Andrew's bones from Patras to Constantinople. Saint Regulus was instructed by an angel to take many of these relics to the far northwest. He was eventally told to stop on the Fife coast of Scotland, where he founded the settlement of Saint Andrew.
In the 7th century, Saint Wilfrid brought some of the saint's relics with him after a pilgrimage to Rome. The Scots king, Angus MacFergus, installed them at Saint Andrew's to enhance the prestige of the new diocese.
When the Pictish King Angus faced a large invading army, he prayed for guidance. A white cloud in the form of a saltire cross floated across the blue sky above him. Angus won a decisive victory, and decreed that Andrew would be the patron saint of his country. Following Robert Bruce's victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Declaration of Arbroath officially named Saint Andrew the patron saint of Scotland. The Saltire became the national flag of Scotland in 1385.
Profile Son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of Saint John the Apostle, and may have been Jesus' cousin. He is called "the Greater" simply because he became an Apostle before Saint James the Lesser. Apparent disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Fisherman. He left everything when Christ called him to be a fisher of men. Was present during most of the recorded miracles of Christ. Preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. First Apostle to be martyred.
The pilgrimage to his relics in Compostela became such a popular devotion that the symbols of pilgrims have become his emblems, and he became patron of pilgrims. His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish; for centuries, the Spanish army rode to battle with the cry "Santiago!" ("Saint James!")
Like all men of renown, many stories grew up around James. In one, he brought back to life a boy who had been unjustly hanged, and had been dead for five weeks. The boy's father was notified of the miracle while he sat at supper. The father pronounced the story nonsense, and said his son was no more alive than the roasted fowl on the table; the cooked bird promptly sat up, sprouted feathers, and flew away.
Died 44 at Jerusalem; stabbed with a sword by King Herod Agrippa; legend says his body was taken by angels, and sailed in a rudderless, unattended boat to Spain where a massive rock closed around it; relics at Compostela, Spain
Patron Of:
Art Dealers, Asia Minor, Authors, Bookbinders, Booksellers, Compositors, Editors, Engravers, Lithographers, Painters, Paper Makers, Papermakers, Poisoning, Publishers, Theologians, Typesetters, Writers
Also known as Apostle of Charity; Beloved Apostle; Beloved Disciple; Giovanni Evangelista; John the Divine; John the Evangelist
Profile Son of Zebedee and Salome. Fisherman. Brother of Saint James the Great, and called one of the Sons of Thunder. Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Friend of Saint Peter the Apostle. Called by Jesus during the first year of His ministry, and traveled everywhere with Him, becoming so close as to be known as the beloved disciple. Took part in the Last Supper. The only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Made guardian of Our Lady by Jesus, he took her into his home. Upon hearing of the Resurrection, he was the first to reach the tomb; when he met the risen Lord at the lake of Tiberias, he was the first to recognize Him.
During the era of the new Church, he worked in Jerusalem and at Ephesus. During Jesus' ministry, he tried to block a Samaritan from their group, but Jesus explained the open nature of the new Way, and he worked on that principle to found churches in Asia Minor and baptizing converts in Samaria. Imprisoned with Peter for preaching after Pentecost. Wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation. Survived all his fellow apostles.
Traditional stories:
* Emperor Dometian had him brought to Rome, beaten, poisoned, and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, but he stepped out unharmed and was banished to Patmos instead.
* When John was en route to preach in Asia, his ship was wrecked in a storm; all but John were cast ashore. John was assumed dead, but 2 weeks later the waves cast him ashore alive at the feet of his disciple Prochoros.
* When John denounced idol worship as demonic, followers of Artemis stoned him; the rocks turned and hit the throwers.
* He prayed in a temple of Artemis; fire from heaven killed 200 men who worshipped the idol. When the remaining group begged for mercy, he raised the 200 from the dead; they all converted and were baptized.
* Drove out a demon who had lived in a pagan temple for 249 years.
* Aboard ship, he purified vessels of sea water for drinking.
* Ceonops, a magician, pretended to bring three dead people come to life; the "people" were actually demons who mimicked people so the magician could turn people away from Christ. Through prayer, John caused the magician to drown and the demons to vanish.
* Once a year his grave gave off a fragrant dust that cured the sick.
Died c.101 at Ephesus (modern Turkey); a church was built over his tomb, which was later converted to a mosque
Profile Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who anointed Christ's body after death. Brother of Saint James the Lesser. Nephew of Mary and Joseph; blood relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him. May have been a fisherman. Apostle.
Writer of canonical letter. Preached in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with Saint Simon. Healer. Exorcist. Could exorcise pagan idols, which caused the demons to flee and the statues to crumble.
His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and Judas; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude's help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.
Died beaten to death with a club, then beheaded post-mortem in 1st century Persia; relics at Saint Peter's, Rome, at Rheims, and at Toulouse, France
Name Meaning sweetness or gentleness of character (Thaddeus)
Profile Son of Alphaeus, he lived at Capenaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus' contemporaries were surprised to see the Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come "not to call the just, but sinners."
Matthew's Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.
Patron Of:
Against Fenzy, Bakers, Bridge Builders, Butchers, Clock Makers, Fever, Fishermen, Foot Trouble, Frenzy, Long Life, Masons, Net Makers, Papacy, Rome, Ship Builders, Shipwrights, Shoemakers, Stationers, Stone Masons, Watch Makers, Wolves
Also known as
Cephas; Prince of the Apostles; Simon
Memorial
29 June (feast of Peter and Paul)
22 February (feast of the Chair of Peter, emblematic of the world unity of the Church)
18 November (feast of the dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul) Profile
Fisherman. Brother of Saint Andrew the Apostle who led him to Christ. Apostle. Renamed "Peter" (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Bishop. Miracle worker. First Pope. Born
as Simon Died
martyred c.64 crucified head downward because he claimed he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Name Meaning
rock
Patronage
against frenzy; bakers; Bath Abbey; Berchtesgaden Abbey; Bremen, Germany; bridge builders; butchers; diocese of Calbayog, Philippines; Chartres, France; clock makers; cobblers; Cologne, Germany; Corbie Abbey; archdiocese of Davao, Philippines; Exeter College Oxford; Dunajská Streda, Slovakia; feet problems; fever; fishermen; foot problems; harvesters; diocese of Jackson, Mississippi; Köpenick, Germany; diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Lessines, Belgium; Leuven, Belgium; locksmiths; longevity; diocese of Maralal, Kenya; diocese of Marquette, Michigan; masons; Moissac, France; Naumburg, Germany; net makers; Obermarsberg, Germany; papacy; archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Popes; Poznan Poland; diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Regensburg, Germany; Rome; Saint Petersburg, Russia; diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania; ship builders; shipwrights; shoemakers; Sint Pieters Rode, Belgium; stone masons; Toa Baja, Puerto Rico; Umbria, Italy; Universal Church; watch makers; Worms, Germany
Memorial 3 May (Roman calendar) (formerly 1 May); 14 November (Greek calendar) Profile Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Apostle. Brought Saint Nathanael to Christ. Confidant of Jesus. Little is known about him, but scriptural episodes give the impression of a shy, naive, practical individual. Preached in Greece and Asia Minor. Martyr. Born at Bethsaida, Palestine Died martyred c.80 at Hierapolis, Phrygia Name Meaning lover of horses (Philip) Canonized Pre-Congregation Patronage hatters; Luxembourg; pastry chefs; San Felipe Indian Pueblo; Uruguay Prayers Prayer to... Representation elderly bearded man holding a basket of loaves and a cross which is often t-shaped elderly man casting a devil from the idol of Mars; elderly man crucified on a tall cross; elderly man holding loaves and fishes; elderly man with a dragon nearby; elderly man with a loaf and book; elderly man with a snake nearby; loaves of bread; man baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch; man holding a book or scroll reading descendit ad inferna; tall cross; with Saint Andrew
Patron Of:
Against Doubt, Architects, Blind People, Builders, Construction Workers, Geometricians, Masons, Stone Masons, Stone Workers, Surveyors, Theologians
Also known as
Didymus;
the Twin;
Apostle of India;
Doubting Thomas
Profile Apostle. He was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ's wounds. Preached in Parthia, Persia and India, though he was so reluctant to start the mission that he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant headed that way. He eventually gave in to God's will, was freed, and planted the new Church over a wide area. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. His symbol is the builder's square, from an ancient story that built a palace for King Guduphara in India.
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