The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, on June 29, honors together the two great apostles of Rome: Peter, the fisherman whom Christ made the rock of his Church, and Paul, the persecutor who became the Apostle of the Gentiles. Both gave their lives for Christ in Rome under the emperor Nero, and the Church has celebrated them on the same day since at least the third century. In 2027 the solemnity falls on Tuesday, June 29. Below is why they share one feast, the traditions of the day in Rome and around the world, the readings, and the prayer of the feast.
Why Peter and Paul share one feast
Peter and Paul were very different men: a Galilean fisherman and a learned Pharisee from Tarsus, one sent mainly to the Jews and the other to the Gentiles, who even clashed publicly at Antioch (Galatians 2:11). Yet the Church has always honored them together as the two pillars of the Church of Rome, united in their faith, their mission and their martyrdom. Tradition holds that they died in Rome around the year 64–67: Peter crucified, upside down at his own request, on the Vatican hill, where St. Peter’s Basilica now stands over his tomb, and Paul, a Roman citizen, beheaded on the road to Ostia, where the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls rises over his grave.
The readings
The Gospel of the day is Peter’s confession of faith and Christ’s promise to him (Matthew 16:13–19):
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
The second reading gives Paul’s farewell, written from prison as he awaited death (2 Timothy 4:6–8):
For I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming.
Traditions of the day
- The pallium. On this feast the Pope blesses the pallia, narrow bands of white lamb’s wool marked with black crosses, for the metropolitan archbishops appointed during the year, a sign of their communion with the successor of Peter.
- Peter’s Pence. In many countries a collection for the Pope’s charities and the needs of the Holy See is taken up on or near this day.
- A holiday in Rome. Sts. Peter and Paul are the patron saints of Rome, and June 29 is a public holiday in the city, with the bronze statue of St. Peter in his basilica clothed in papal vestments.
- Ecumenical delegations. Each year the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople sends a delegation to Rome for this feast, and the Pope sends one to Constantinople for the feast of St. Andrew on November 30. See St. Andrew.
The prayer of the feast
The Collect for Sts. Peter and Paul in the traditional Roman Missal:
O God, who hast consecrated this day by the martyrdom of thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant that thy Church may in all things follow their precepts from whom it first received the faith. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
A prayer to Sts. Peter and Paul
Written for this page:
Holy apostles Peter and Paul, you gave your lives in Rome for the love of Christ.
Peter, you denied him and were forgiven; Paul, you persecuted him and were called.
Pray for us sinners, that we too may be converted and strengthened.
Pray for the Pope, the successor of Peter, and for all who carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Keep the Church united in the faith you handed on to us. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul?
June 29, a solemnity. In 2027 it falls on a Tuesday.
Is June 29 a holy day of obligation?
It is listed among the holy days of the universal Church, but in the United States the obligation has been lifted, so it is not a day of obligation there. In some countries it is.
How did Peter and Paul die?
According to early tradition, Peter was crucified head downward on the Vatican hill, and Paul was beheaded outside the walls of Rome, both during Nero’s persecution around 64–67.
What is the pallium?
A band of white wool worn over the vestments by the Pope and by metropolitan archbishops, blessed on June 29 as a sign of their communion with the Pope.
More pages
Texts and sources
- Matthew 16:18–19, 2 Timothy 4:6–8 and Galatians 2:11 (Douay-Rheims).
- Collect: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), June 29, public domain (archive.org). OCR errors corrected.