FEAST DAY: JULY 25
In the first three Gospels—Mark, Matthew and Luke, known as the Synoptic Gospels—we learn that James, son of Zebedee, or St. James the Great, was among the very first apostles whom Jesus called.
James, his brother John and brothers Peter and Andrew are called by the Sea of Galilee, where they worked as fishermen. James, John, Peter and Andrew immediately respond to Jesus’ call to “Follow me.”
James and John, known as the “Sons of Thunder,” and Peter, soon rise to prominence among the 12 apostles. Jesus invites all three to accompany Him to the mountaintop to witness His Transfiguration. Right before Jesus’ arrest, He asks James, Peter and John to join Him at Gethsemane to pray as He prepares for His crucifixion.
Following Jesus’ resurrection, James and the other apostles go forth to evangelize. James preaches the Gospel in Israel and elsewhere in the Roman Empire, spending years in what is now Spain. Eventually, James returns to Jerusalem, where, according to the Acts of the Apostles, he is martyred by King Herod in 44 A.D.—the first of the apostles to be martyred. James’ followers, according to tradition, took his remains to Spain. James’ remains would be discovered in the ninth century and moved to a tomb in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. The Camino pilgrimage, which has drawn pilgrims since the 10th century, leads the faithful to his tomb. (See related story, page 16.)
St. James’ feast day is July 25. In our diocese, he is honored as patron of St. James Parish in Waynesburg. In addition, he is patron of St. James Church in North Jackson, part of Our Lady of the Lakes Paris, and St. James Church in Warren, part of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.
