The twelve apostles were the men Jesus chose from among His disciples to be with Him, to preach and to be the foundation of His Church: Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Jude Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him and was replaced by Matthias. According to Scripture and ancient tradition, all of them except John died as martyrs for Christ. St. Paul, called later, is honored as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Below are the list in the words of the Gospel, a short profile of each apostle with his symbol, feast day and the tradition of his death, and a prayer to the holy apostles.
A short prayer to the twelve apostles, written for this page:
Holy apostles of Jesus, you left everything to follow Him and gave your lives to make Him known.
Pray for the Church built on your faith,
and give me the courage to follow Christ and to tell others about Him. Amen.
The names of the twelve apostles
St. Matthew lists them (Matthew 10:2–4, Douay-Rheims):
And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus,
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
St. Luke’s lists (Luke 6 and Acts 1) call Thaddeus “Jude, the brother of James” and Simon “Simon the Zealot.”
The twelve apostles at a glance
| Apostle | Symbol in art | Feast day | Tradition of his death |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peter | Keys | June 29 | Crucified upside down in Rome, about 64–67 |
| St. Andrew | X-shaped cross | November 30 | Crucified at Patras, in Greece |
| St. James the Greater | Scallop shell, pilgrim’s staff | July 25 | Beheaded in Jerusalem by Herod Agrippa, about 44 (Acts 12:2) |
| St. John | Eagle, chalice | December 27 | Died of old age at Ephesus, the only apostle not martyred |
| St. Philip | Cross, loaves | May 3 | Martyred at Hierapolis, in Asia Minor |
| St. Bartholomew | Knife | August 24 | Flayed and martyred in Armenia |
| St. Thomas | Spear, builder’s square | July 3 | Killed with a spear in India, about 72 |
| St. Matthew | Money bag, angel | September 21 | Martyred in Ethiopia or Persia; traditions differ |
| St. James the Less | Fuller’s club | May 3 | Thrown from the Temple and killed in Jerusalem, about 62 |
| St. Jude Thaddeus | Club, image of Christ | October 28 | Martyred in Persia with St. Simon |
| St. Simon the Zealot | Saw | October 28 | Martyred in Persia with St. Jude; one tradition says he was sawn in two |
| St. Matthias (in place of Judas) | Axe | May 14 | Martyred; traditions place his death in Judea or farther east |
The apostles one by one
St. Peter. A fisherman of Bethsaida and Capernaum, called Simon until Jesus named him Peter, “the rock.” He denied Jesus three times, was forgiven, and led the first Church in Jerusalem and later in Rome, where he was martyred. See St. Peter prayer and the Chair of St. Peter.
St. Andrew. Peter’s brother and a disciple of John the Baptist, the first to follow Jesus, who brought Peter to Him. Patron of Scotland, Greece and Russia. See St. Andrew.
St. James the Greater. Son of Zebedee and brother of John, one of the three closest to Jesus, the first apostle to be martyred. His shrine at Santiago de Compostela is the goal of the Camino pilgrimage. See the St. James prayer.
St. John. The “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who stood at the Cross and took Mary into his home, author of the fourth Gospel, three letters and the Apocalypse. See St. John the Apostle.
St. Philip. From Bethsaida; he brought Nathanael to Jesus with “Come and see” and asked Jesus at the Last Supper, “Lord, shew us the Father.” See Sts. Philip and James.
St. Bartholomew. Usually identified with Nathanael, “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.” See St. Bartholomew.
St. Thomas. The apostle who doubted the Resurrection until he touched Jesus’ wounds and cried, “My Lord and my God!” Tradition says he brought the Gospel to India. See the St. Thomas the Apostle prayer.
St. Matthew. The tax collector Levi, who left his counting table at Jesus’ call and wrote the first Gospel. See the St. Matthew prayer.
St. James the Less. Son of Alphaeus, identified in the Latin tradition with James “the brother of the Lord,” bishop of Jerusalem and author of the Letter of James.
St. Jude Thaddeus. Author of the short Letter of Jude, patron of desperate cases. See the St. Jude prayer and the St. Jude novena.
St. Simon the Zealot. Called “the Cananean” or “the Zealot,” perhaps because of his zeal for the Law. He shares his feast with St. Jude, with whom tradition says he preached and died in Persia.
Judas Iscariot and St. Matthias. Judas, who kept the common purse, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and, in despair, took his own life. After the Ascension the apostles chose Matthias by lot to take his place. See St. Matthias.
St. Paul and St. Barnabas
St. Paul, the former persecutor converted on the road to Damascus, is called the Apostle to the Gentiles; he was beheaded in Rome and shares the feast of June 29 with St. Peter. See the St. Paul prayer and the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. St. Barnabas, his companion, is also honored as an apostle. See St. Barnabas.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the 12 apostles?
Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Jude Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, later replaced by Matthias.
Which apostle was not martyred?
According to tradition, St. John, who died of old age at Ephesus.
Who was the first apostle to die for Christ?
St. James the Greater, beheaded by Herod Agrippa around the year 44 (Acts 12:2).
When is the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude?
October 28.
More
- Sts. Simon and Jude
- Apostles’ Creed
- Doctors of the Church
- Saint feast days
- Saint of the day
- Prayers to popular saints
- Patron saints
Texts and sources
- Matthew 10:2–4 (Douay-Rheims). The traditions about the apostles’ deaths come from early Christian writers and local traditions, and they differ in some details.