St. Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, usually identified with Nathanael, the man Jesus praised as “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.” According to tradition he preached the Gospel as far as India and Armenia and was martyred by being flayed alive, which is why he is shown holding a knife or his own skin, as in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. He is the patron of tanners, leatherworkers and people with skin diseases, and his feast day is August 24. Below are his calling in the Gospel, his story, the prayer of his feast, and a prayer to St. Bartholomew.
A short prayer to St. Bartholomew, written for this page:
St. Bartholomew, Jesus saw you under the fig tree and called you an honest man.
Pray that I may be without guile, sincere in word and heart,
and quick to confess, as you did, “Thou art the Son of God.” Amen.
The call of Nathanael
St. John’s Gospel tells how Philip brought his friend Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45–49, Douay-Rheims):
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.
And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.
Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.
The other Gospels never mention Nathanael, and St. John never mentions Bartholomew, whose name means “son of Tolmai.” Because Bartholomew is always listed next to Philip, most scholars since the Middle Ages have identified the two as the same man. Nathanael was also among the disciples who saw the risen Jesus by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:2).
Who was St. Bartholomew?
Bartholomew was from Cana in Galilee. After Pentecost, according to early tradition, he preached in India, where a Christian teacher of the second century, Pantaenus, was said to have found a Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew that Bartholomew had left there, and then in Armenia, where he converted many people. There, according to tradition, he was martyred by being flayed alive and then beheaded. In Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, Bartholomew holds a knife and his own flayed skin, whose face is believed to be a self-portrait of the artist. His relics are honored in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island in Rome.
The prayer of his feast
From the 1916 daily missal:
O almighty everlasting God, who hast given the venerable and holy joy of this day in honor of the feast of thy blessed Apostle Bartholomew, grant, we beseech thee, that thy Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught. 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.
What is St. Bartholomew the patron saint of?
St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of:
- Tanners, leatherworkers, butchers and bookbinders, trades that work with skins
- People with skin diseases and skin conditions
- Armenia, where he is honored as an apostle of the nation
- Those suffering from nervous disorders, in some traditions
Prayers to St. Bartholomew
Written for this page.
For skin conditions
St. Bartholomew, you suffered in your skin for the love of Christ.
Pray for me in my skin condition. Ask Jesus to heal me,
to give me patience and confidence, and to help me see myself as God sees me. Amen.
For honesty
Lord, you praised Nathanael as a man in whom there was no guile.
Take away all deceit from my heart and my words,
and make me honest with you, with others and with myself. Amen.
Feast day
The feast of St. Bartholomew is August 24; it is a feast in the universal calendar. The Armenian Church honors him with St. Thaddeus as the first apostles of Armenia.
Frequently asked questions
Is St. Bartholomew the same as Nathanael?
Most scholars believe so, because Bartholomew is a family name (“son of Tolmai”) and both are closely linked with Philip.
How did St. Bartholomew die?
According to tradition, he was flayed alive and beheaded in Armenia.
When is St. Bartholomew’s feast day?
August 24.
More apostles
- The Twelve Apostles
- St. Matthias
- Sts. Philip and James
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- St. John the Apostle
- St. James prayer
- St. Jude prayer
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- John 1:45–49 (Douay-Rheims).
- The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Bartholomew (August 24), Collect, public domain (archive.org); scanning errors corrected.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “St. Bartholomew,” public domain (Wikisource).