Peter (Latin: Petrus, Greek: Petros, Syriac/Aramaic:

, Shemayon Keppa,
[1]
Hebrew: Shim'on Bar Yona ; died c. 64 AD ), also known as Simon Peter,
according to the New Testament, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, leaders of the
early Christian Church. The Catholic Church considers him to be the first Pope, ordained by
Jesus in the "Rock of My Church" dialogue in Matthew 16:18. The ancient Christian churches all
venerate Peter as a major saint and associate him with founding the Church of Antioch and later
the Church in Rome,[2] but differ about the authority of his various successors in present-day
Christianity.
The New Testament indicates that Peter was the son of John (or Jonah or Jona)[3] and was from
the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee or Gaulanitis. His brother Andrew was also an
apostle. According to New Testament accounts, Peter was one of twelve apostles chosen by Jesus
from his first disciples. Originally a fisherman, he played a leadership role and was with Jesus
during events witnessed by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration. According to the
gospels, Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah,[4] was part of Jesus's inner circle,[5] thrice denied
Jesus,[6] and preached on the day of Pentecost.[7]
According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus
Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw
himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ. Tradition holds that he was
crucified at the site of the Clementine Chapel. His mortal remains are said to be those contained
in the underground Confessio of St. Peter's Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced in 1968 the
excavated discovery of a first-century Roman cemetery. Every June 29 since 1736, a statue of
Saint Peter in St. Peter's Basilica is adorned with papal tiara, ring of the fisherman, and papal
vestments, as part of the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. According to Catholic
doctrine, the direct papal successor to Saint Peter is Pope Francis.
Two general epistles in the New Testament are ascribed to Peter; however, it is true that there are
some biblical scholars, though they do not constitute a majority, who reject the Petrine
authorship of both.[8] The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of
Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories. Several other books bearing his name the Acts of
Peter, Gospel of Peter, Preaching of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and Judgment of Peter are
considered by Christian churches as apocryphal
combine the two names, while St. Paul uses the name Cephas.

Jude the Apostle

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"St. Jude" redirects here. For other uses, see St. Jude (disambiguation).
For Thaddeus of Edessa also known as Adai Mar Addai, see Thaddeus of
Edessa

According to the New Testament, Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally
identified with Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas
Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. He is sometimes identified with Jude, the brother of Jesus, but is
clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion.
The Armenian Apostolic Church honors Thaddeus along with Saint Bartholomew as its patron
saints. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
Saint Jude's attribute is a club. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head. This
represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles.
Another common attribute is Jude holding an image of Jesus Christ, in the image of Edessa. In
some instances, he may be shown with a scroll or a book (the Epistle of Jude) or holding a
carpenter's rule

St Sebastian
Saint Sebastian (died c. 268) was an early Christian saint and martyr. He was killed during the
Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. He is commonly depicted in art and
literature tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows. Despite this being the most common artistic
depiction of Sebastian, he was, according to legend, rescued and healed by Irene of Rome.
Shortly afterwards he criticized Diocletian in person and as a result was clubbed to death.[1] He is
venerated in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
The details of Saint Sebastian's martyrdom were first spoken of by 4th-century bishop Ambrose
of Milan (Saint Ambrose), in his sermon (number 22) on Psalm 118. Ambrose stated that
Sebastian came from Milan and that he was already venerated there at that time. Saint Sebastian
is a popular male saint, especially among athletes

Our lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes is a venerated title of the Blessed Virgin Mary invoked by Roman
Catholics in honor of the Marian apparitions said to have occurred on numerous occasions in
1858 in the vicinity of Lourdes, France. The first of these is the apparition of 11 February 1858,
when Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl, admitted to her mother that a "lady"
spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle (a mile from the town) while she was gathering firewood
with her sister and a friend.[1] Similar apparitions of the alleged "Lady" were reported on

seventeen occasions that year, until the climax revelation of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception took place.[2]
Bernadette Soubirous was later canonized as a Saint, and Roman Catholics and some Protestants
believe her apparitions have been validated by the overwhelming popularity and testament of
healings claimed to have taken place at the Lourdes water spring.
In 1862, Pope Pius IX authorized Bishop Bertrand-Svre Laurence to permit the veneration of
the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes. On 3 July 1876, Pope Pius IX formally granted a Canonical
Coronation to the image that used to be in the courtyard of what is now part of the Rosary
Basilica.[3][4] This Marian title, Our Lady of Lourdes, has been widely copied and reproduced,
often displayed in shrines and homes, most notably in garden landscapes.

St Joseph
Joseph (Hebrew ,, Yosef; Greek: , Ioseph) is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of
Mary, the mother of Jesus and is venerated Saint Joseph in some Christian traditions. Christian
tradition places Joseph as Jesus' foster father.[1] Some historians state that Joseph was Jesus's
father.[2][3][4] Some differing views are due to theological interpretations versus historical views.[2]
The Pauline epistles make no reference to Jesus's father; nor does the Gospel of Mark.[5] The first
appearance of Joseph is in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Each contains a genealogy of Jesus
showing ancestry from king David, but through different sons; Matthew follows the major royal
line from Solomon, while Luke traces another line back to Nathan, another son of David and
Bathsheba. Consequently, all the names between David and Joseph are different. According to
Matthew 1:16 "Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary", while according to Luke 3:23, Joseph
is said to be "[the son] of Heli". Some scholars reconcile the genealogies by viewing the
Solomonic lineage in Matthew as Joseph's major royal line, and the Nathanic lineage in Luke to
be Mary's minor line.[6][7]
Joseph is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican,
Lutheran[8][9] and Methodist[10][11] faiths. In Catholic and other traditions, Joseph is the patron saint
of workers and has several feast days. He was also declared to be the patron saint and protector
of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius IX in 1870, and is the patron of several countries and
regions. With the growth of Mariology, the theological field of Josephology has also grown and
since the 1950s centres for studying it have been formed.

St Anthony

Anthony the Great or Antony the Great (c. 251 356 AD), also known as Saint Anthony or
Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite,
Anthony of Thebes, Abba Antonius ( ) and Father of All Monks, was a
Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers. His feast day is
January 17 in both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and 22 Tobi according to the
calendar of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The biography of Anthony's life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped to spread the concept of
monasticism, particularly in Western Europe through Latin translations. He is often erroneously
considered the first monk, but as his biography and other sources make clear, there were many
ascetics before him. Anthony was, however, the first known ascetic going into the wilderness
(about AD 270271), a geographical move that seems to have contributed to his renown.[4]
Accounts of Anthony enduring supernatural temptation during his sojourn in the Eastern Desert
of Egypt inspired the often-repeated subject of the temptation of St. Anthony in Western art and
literature.
Anthony is appealed to against infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases. In the past, many
such afflictions, including ergotism, erysipelas, and shingles, were historically referred to as St.
Anthony's fire.

St Andrew Avellino
Born 1521 at Castronuovo, a small town in Sicily; died 10 November, 1608. His
baptismal name was Lancelotto, which out of love for the cross he changed into
Andrew when he entered the Order of Theatines. From his early youth he was a
great lover of chastity. After receiving his elementary training in the school of
Castronuovo, he was sent to Venice to pursue a course in the humanities and in
philosophy. Being a handsome youth, his chastity was often exposed to danger from
female admirers, and to escape their importunities he took ecclesiastical tonsure.
Hereupon he went to Naples to study canon and civil law, obtained the degree of
Doctor of Laws and was ordained priest at the age of twenty-six. For some time he
held the office of lawyer at the ecclesiastical court of Naples. One day, while
pleading the cause of a friend, a lie escaped his lips in the heat of argument. When,
soon afterwards, his eyes fell upon the passage in the Bible, "The mouth that belieth
killeth the soul" (Wisdom 1:11), he felt deep remorse, renounced his profession as
ecclesiastical lawyer and for some time devoted himself entirely to holy meditation
and other spiritual exercises. The Archbishop of Naples now commissioned him to
reform a convent at Naples, which by the laxity of its discipline had become a
source of great scandal. By his own example and his untiring zeal he restored the

religious discipline of the convent but not without many and great difficulties.
Certain wicked men who were accustomed to have clandestine meetings with the
nuns became exasperated at the saint's interference, and one night he was
assaulted and severely wounded. He was brought to the monastery of the Theatines
to recuperate. Here, however, he resolved to devote himself entirely to God and he
entered the Order of Theatines, which had but recently been founded by St.
Cajetan. On the vigil of the Assumption he was invested, being then thirty-five years
of age. After completing his novitiate, he obtained permission to visit the tombs of
the Apostles and the Martyrs at Rome, and, upon his return was made master of
novices. After holding this office ten years he was elected superior. His holy zeal for
strict religious discipline, and for the purity of the clergy, as well as his deep
humility and sincere piety induced the General of his Order to entrust him with the
foundation of two new Theatine houses, one at Milan, the other at Piacenza. By his
efforts many more Theatine houses rose up in various diocese of Italy. As superior
of some of these new foundations he was so successful in converting sinners and
heretics by his prudence in the direction of souls and by his eloquent preaching,
that numerous disciples thronged around him, eager to be under his spiritual
guidance. One of the most noteworthy of his disciples was Lorenzo Scupoli, the
author of that still popular book "The Spiritual Combat". St. Charles Borromeo was
an intimate friend of Avellino and sought his advice in the most important affairs of
the Church. Through indefatigable in preaching, hearing confessions, and visiting
the sick, Avellino still had time to write some ascetical works. His letters were
published in 1731, at Naples, in two volumes, and his other ascetical works, three
years later in five volumes. On 10 November, 1608, when beginning the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass, he was stricken with apoplexy, and after devoutly receiving
the Holy Viaticum, died the death of a saint at the age of eighty-eight. In 1624, only
sixteen years after his death, he was beatified by Urban VIII, and in 1712 was
canonized by Clement XI. He is venerated as patron by Naples and Sicily and
invoked especially against a sudden death. His earthly remains lie buried in the
Church of St. Paul at Naples.

Blessed Mother Teresa

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, MC,[3] commonly known as Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 5
September 1997), was a Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary[4] who lived most of her
life in India. She was born in today's Macedonia, with her family being of Albanian descent
originating in Kosovo.[5][6][7][8][9]
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation,
which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries. They run hospices
and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis; soup kitchens; dispensaries and
mobile clinics; children's and family counselling programmes; orphanages; and schools.

Members must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as well as a fourth vow, to
give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor".[10]
Mother Teresa was the recipient of numerous honours including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. In
2003, she was beatified as "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta". A second miracle credited to her
intercession is required before she can be recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church.[3]
A controversial figure both during her life and after her death, Mother Teresa was widely
admired by many for her charitable works, but also widely criticised, particularly for her efforts
opposing contraception and for substandard conditions in the hospices for which she was
responsible.[11][12][13][14]

St Paul
Paul the Apostle (Greek: Paulos; c. 5 c. 67), originally known as Saul of Tarsus
(Hebrew: ; Greek: Saulos Tarseus),[1][2] was an apostle (though not
one of the Twelve Apostles) who taught the gospel of Christ to the first-century world.[7] He is
generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age.[8][9] In the mid-30s to
the mid-50s, he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul used his status as both
a Jew and a Roman citizen to advantage in his ministry to both Jewish and Roman audiences.
According to writings in the New Testament Paul, who was known as Saul early on, was
dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem.[10] In the
narrative of the book of Acts, while Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus
on a mission to "bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem", the resurrected Jesus
appeared to him in a great light. He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored
by Ananias of Damascus, and Paul began to preach that Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah
and the Son of God.[11] Approximately half of the book of Acts deals with Paul's life and works.
Fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to
Paul. Seven of the epistles are undisputed by scholars as being authentic, with varying degrees of
argument about the remainder. The authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews, already doubted as
Pauline in the 2nd and 3rd centuries[12] but almost unquestioningly accepted from the 5th to the
16th centuries,[13] is now almost universally rejected by scholars.[14] The other six are believed by
some scholars to have come from followers writing in his name, using material from Paul's
surviving letters and letters written by him that no longer survive.[7][8][15] Other scholars argue that
the idea of a pseudonymous author for the disputed epistles raises many problems.[16]
Today, Paul's epistles continue to be vital roots of the theology, worship, and pastoral life in the
Roman and Protestant traditions of the West, and the Orthodox traditions of the East.[17] Among

that of many other apostles and missionaries involved in the spread of the Christian faith,[7] Paul's
influence on Christian thought and practice has been characterized as being as "profound as it is
pervasive". Augustine of Hippo developed Paul's idea that salvation is based on faith and not
"works of the law". Martin Luther's interpretation of Paul's writings influenced Luther's doctrine
of sola fide.

St Teresa- little flower of jesus

Thrse has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Catholics and for others because of
the "simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life". Together with St. Francis of
Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church.[2][3][4] Pope Pius X called
her "the greatest saint of modern times".[5]
Thrse felt an early call to religious life, and overcoming various obstacles, in 1888 at the early
age of 15, she became a nun and joined two of her elder sisters in the cloistered Carmelite
community of Lisieux, Normandy. After nine years as a Carmelite religious, having fulfilled
various offices such as sacristan and assistant to the novice mistress, and having spent her last
eighteen months in Carmel in a night of faith, she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Her feast
day is on October 1.
The impact of The Story of a Soul, a collection of her autobiographical manuscripts, printed and
distributed a year after her death to an initially very limited audience, was great, and she rapidly
became one of the most popular saints of the twentieth century. Pope Pius XI made her the "star
of his pontificate".[6] She was beatified in 1923, and canonized in 1925. Thrse was declared copatron of the missions with Francis Xavier in 1927, and named co-patron of France with Joan of
Arc in 1944. On October 19, 1997 Pope John Paul II declared her the thirty-third Doctor of the
Church, the youngest person, and at that time only the third woman, to be so honored. Devotion
to Thrse has developed around the world.[7]
Thrse lived a hidden life and "wanted to be unknown", yet became popular after her death
through her spiritual autobiography. She also left letters, poems, religious plays, prayers, and her
last conversations were recorded by her sisters. Paintings and photographs mostly the work of
her sister Cline further led to her being recognized by millions of men and women.
Thrse said on her death-bed, "I only love simplicity. I have a horror of pretence", and she
spoke out against some of the claims made concerning the Lives of saints written in her day, "We
should not say improbable things, or things we do not know. We must see their real, and not their
imagined lives."[8]

The depth of her spirituality, of which she said, "my way is all confidence and love", has inspired
many believers. In the face of her littleness she trusted in God to be her sanctity. She wanted to
go to heaven by an entirely new little way. "I wanted to find an elevator that would raise me to
Jesus". The elevator, she wrote, would be the arms of Jesus lifting her in all her littleness.
Thrse is well known throughout the world, with the Basilica of Lisieux being the second
largest place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes.[9]

The birth of Christ

The Nativity of Jesus, also The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus, primarily
based on the two accounts in the gospels of Luke and Matthew, and secondarily on some
apocryphal texts.
The canonical gospels of Luke and Matthew both describe Jesus as born in Bethlehem in Judea,
to a virgin mother. In the Gospel of Luke account, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to
Bethlehem for the census, and Jesus is born there and laid in a manger.[1] Angels proclaim him a
savior for all people, and shepherds come to adore him. In the Matthew account, astronomers
follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the King of the Jews. King Herod orders
the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt
and later settles in Nazareth. Many scholars view the two narratives as non-historical and
contradictory.[2][3][4][5] Other traditional Christian scholars maintain that the two accounts do not
contradict each other, pointing to the similarities between them.[6] Some scholars view the
discussion of historicity as secondary, given that gospels were primarily written as theological
documents rather than chronological timelines.[7][8][9][10]
The main religious celebration among members of the Catholic Church and other Christian
groups is the Church service on Christmas Eve or on the morning of Christmas Day. During the
forty days leading up to Christmas, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the Nativity Fast,
while the majority of Christian congregations (including the Catholic Church, the Anglican
Communion, many Mainline churches, and Baptists) begin observing the liturgical season of
Advent four Sundays before Christmasboth are seen as times of spiritual cleansing,
recollection and renewal to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
In Christian theology, the Nativity of Jesus concerns the Incarnation of Jesus as the second
Adam, in fulfillment of the divine will of God, undoing the damage caused by the fall of the first
man, Adam. The Artistic depiction of Nativity has been a major subject for Christian artists since
the 4th century. Since the 13th century, the Nativity scene has emphasized the humility of Jesus
and promoted a more tender image of him, as a major turning point from the early "Lord and
Master" image, affecting the basic approaches of Christian pastoral ministry.[11][12][13]

The Last Supper

The Last Supper is the final meal that, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his Apostles in
Jerusalem before his crucifixion.[2] The Last Supper is commemorated by Christians especially on
Maundy Thursday.[3] Moreover, the Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist
also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's Supper".[4]
The First Epistle to the Corinthians is the earliest known mention of the Last Supper. The four
canonical Gospels all state that the Last Supper took place towards the end of the week, after
Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and that Jesus and his Apostles shared a meal shortly before
Jesus was crucified at the end of that week.[5][6] During the meal Jesus predicts his betrayal by one
of the Apostles present, and foretells that before the next morning, Peter will deny knowing him.
[5][6]

The three Synoptic Gospels and the First Epistle to the Corinthians include the account of the
institution of the Eucharist in which Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the Apostles,
saying: "This is my body which is given for you".[5][6] The Gospel of John does not include this
episode, but tells of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, giving the new commandment "to
love one another as I have loved you", and has a detailed farewell discourse by Jesus, calling the
Apostles who follow his teachings "friends and not servants", as he prepares them for his
departure.[7][8]
Scholars have looked to the Last Supper as the source of early Christian Eucharist traditions.[9][10]
Others see the account of the Last Supper as derived from 1st-century eucharistic practice[10][11] as
described by Paul in the mid-50s.
The Last Supper served the dual purpose of venerating Passover, the escape of the Jews from
slavery in Egypt, and the establishment of a new tradition, Christianity.