St. PeterPeter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. Jesus

saw them by their boats, and said to them “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

• Jesus made St Peter leader of the apostles. Peter’s name means “rock” in Aramaic. Jesus said to him “On this “rock” I will build my Church”.

• Peter was part of Jesus' inner circle, together with James and John and witnessed the transfiguration and Jesus’ agony in the garden. He walked on water, denied Jesus three times after Jesus’ arrest, and was the first to preach at Pentecost

• Peter is said to have been crucified under Emperor Nero, the cross being upside down at his own request since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ. His remains are in the tomb under St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

His apostolic symbol is a cross upside down with crossed keys. The keys represent Peter as holder of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

St. Andrew

Andrew was a brother of the apostle Peter.

He was a follower of John the Baptist, before he met Jesus.

He was mending his nets with his brother Peter. Jesus saw them both and said to them “follow me”.

Andrew immediately recognized Jesus as the Messiah. He was later chosen by Jesus to be one of His Twelve Apostles.

Andrew was present at all the important moments of Jesus’ life.

Since he was crucified on an X-shaped cross (which is called "Saint Andrew's cross) it is one of his symbols. A symbol of two crossed fish has also been applied to Andrew, because he was formerly a fisherman.

St. James , son of Zebedee

James was the brother of John, both were fishermen and sons of Zebedee, also called “the sons of thunder”, possibly because of their strong temper.

Together with Peter, James and John were the only 3 disciples who saw Jesus transfigured, and were closest to him in the Garden of Gethsemane, during his agony in the garden.

His symbol is three shells, the sign of his pilgrimage by the sea.

St. John, son of Zebedee John, like his brother James, was a

fisherman when Jesus saw them, and said to them “Follow me”.

John was one of Jesus’ inner circle of three disciples who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration and his agony in the garden before his arrest and crucifixion.

John was very close to Jesus, and called himself “the beloved disciple”. He was the one leaning on Jesus breast at the Last Supper.

Jesus asked John to look after his mother Mary when He was dying on the cross, After Mary was taken up into heaven John lived to a very old age and died peacefully.

It is said that an attempt was made on John’s life by giving him a chalice of poison, but he survived.

A chalice with a snake in it is his symbol.

St. PhilipPhilip was from the same town as Peter and Andrew.

He was called by Jesus Himself. Philip then brought Bartholomew to Christ.

Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Jesus tested him, asking how He could feed 5000 people who were coming to hear Him. Philip was stumped. Several of his conversations with Jesus are written in the gospels.

Philip was a link for Greek speaking, open-minded Jews who wanted to know more about Jesus. They would approach Philip for an introduction to Jesus.

The symbol of Philip is a basket, because of his part in the feeding of the five thousand.

It was Philip who popularised the cross as a sign of Christianity and victory.

St. Bartholomew

Also known as Nathaniel.

He was brought to Jesus by Philip. Jesus praised him, saying “here is a man incapable of deceit”.

He died a violent death for converting the King of Armenia’s brother to belief in Jesus.

His skin was removed (=flayed alive), and then he was crucified, head downward.

Because he was flayed alive with knives his apostolic symbol is three parallel knives.

St. MatthewMatthew collected taxes from the Jewish people. He was very unpopular. Jesus saw him sitting in the customs house, and called him to follow him.

After his call, Matthew invited Jesus and his tax-collector friends home for a feast. On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answered “I came not to call good people, but sinners”

The apostolic symbol of Matthew is three money bags which remind us that he was a tax collector before Jesus called him.

St. ThomasSt. Thomas, also called “Doubting Thomas” is remembered for his disbelieving that Jesus rose from the dead. He insisted that unless he could see and touch Christ's wounds, he would not believe.

Jesus appeared to him and showed him his wounds and told him to feel them.

St Thomas exclaimed “My Lord and My God”, and believed. Jesus answered: “happy are those who have not seen, and yet believe”.

He was killed with a spear for his Lord. His symbol is a group of spears, stones and arrows.

St. SimonSt Simon is also called “Simon the zealot” because of his enthusiasm for keeping God’s law.

His is sometimes shown with a saw, as it is said he was put to death by sawing.

His symbol is a fish on a bible, because he used to be a fisherman, but through his preaching, became a “fisher of men”

St. Jude, or ThaddeusJude, also known as Thaddeus, used to be a fisherman before Jesus called him.

He is the patron saint of desperate situations because he wrote a letter which is in the New Testament (The Letter of Jude), where he tells us to keep going, even when things are very difficult, and never lose hope.

The chosen symbol for Jude is the ship because he was a missionary and used to be a fisherman.

St. James the Lesser

Another James, not related to James and John sons of Zebedee.

He may have been a tax collector. He is rarely mentioned in the gospels. He witnessed the resurrected Jesus.

He was crucified in Egypt, where he was preaching the gospel.

Judas IscariotHe was one of the twelve apostles. His role was to look after the money of the disciples and buy provisions when needed. He is infamous for betraying Jesus to the chief priests, for 30 pieces of silver. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss, in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus said of him at the Last Supper “better for that man if he had never been born”.

He later hanged himself.