St. Barnabas was one of the leaders of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, a generous Jew from Cyprus whom the apostles named “the son of consolation” or encouragement, and the man who first trusted the newly converted St. Paul and brought him into the work of the Church. Together Barnabas and Paul made the first great missionary journey to the Gentiles. He is not one of the Twelve, but the Church honors him as an apostle. His feast day is June 11. Below are his story from the Acts of the Apostles, the prayer of his feast, and prayers to St. Barnabas for encouragement and for those who encourage others.
A short prayer to St. Barnabas, written for this page:
St. Barnabas, son of encouragement, you saw the good in others and helped them grow.
Pray that I may build people up and not tear them down,
and be generous with my time, my gifts and my belongings. Amen.
Who was St. Barnabas?
Barnabas first appears in the Acts of the Apostles as an example of the generosity of the first Christians (Acts 4:36–37, Douay-Rheims):
And Joseph, who, by the apostles, was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, by interpretation, The son of consolation,) a Levite, a Cyprian born,
Having land, sold it, and brought the price, and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
When Saul of Tarsus, the former persecutor, came to Jerusalem after his conversion, the disciples were afraid of him. It was Barnabas who took him by the hand, brought him to the apostles and vouched for him. Later, when the Gospel began to spread among the Gentiles in Antioch, the church of Jerusalem sent Barnabas there (Acts 11:22–24, Douay-Rheims):
And the tidings came to the ears of the church that was at Jerusalem, touching these things: and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
Who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, rejoiced: and he exhorted them all with purpose of heart to continue in the Lord.
For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.
Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him to Antioch, where the two taught for a year, and where the disciples were first called Christians. The Holy Spirit then set Barnabas and Saul apart for the first missionary journey, to Cyprus and Asia Minor. Afterwards they defended the Gentile converts at the Council of Jerusalem. The two later parted over whether to take Barnabas’s cousin John Mark on a second journey; Barnabas sailed with Mark to Cyprus, giving the young man a second chance, and Paul later spoke warmly of both. According to tradition, Barnabas was stoned to death at Salamis, in Cyprus.
The prayer of his feast from the 1916 daily missal:
O God, who dost make us happy in the merit and prayers of thy blessed Apostle Barnabas, mercifully grant that we who seek thy benefits through him, may obtain the gift of thy grace. 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. Barnabas the patron saint of?
- Cyprus, his homeland, and the city of Antioch
- Peacemakers and those who encourage others
- Protection against hailstorms, in traditional lists
Prayers to St. Barnabas
Written for this page.
To be an encourager
St. Barnabas, you believed in Paul when others feared him and gave Mark a second chance.
Help me to notice those who need encouragement, and to speak the word that lifts them up. Amen.
When I need encouragement
St. Barnabas, son of consolation, pray for me when I am discouraged.
Remind me that God has not given up on me, and send me someone to walk beside me. Amen.
Feast day
The memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle, is June 11. In England, June 11 was once called “Barnaby Bright,” because under the old calendar it fell near the longest day of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Was St. Barnabas one of the twelve apostles?
No, but the Church calls him an apostle because of his mission with St. Paul (Acts 14:13).
What does Barnabas mean?
“Son of consolation” or “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).
When is St. Barnabas’s feast day?
June 11.
More saints
- The Twelve Apostles
- St. Paul prayer
- St. Mark prayer
- St. Matthias
- Sts. Philip and James
- Patron saint of peace
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Acts 4:36–37 and Acts 11:22–24 (Douay-Rheims).
- The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Barnabas (June 11), Collect, public domain (archive.org).