Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/June 29 2007

The Apostle Peter, also known as Saint Peter, Shimon "Keipha" Ben-Yonah/Bar-Yonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Keipha—original name Shimon or Simeon (Acts 15:14)—was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose as his original disciples. His life is prominently featured in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.

According to the New Testament Peter was a Galilean fisherman assigned a leadership role by Jesus. Many within the early Church, such as St Clement of Rome (1st Epistle to the Corinthians,1,59:1) and St Irenaeus, mention his primacy.

The ancient Christian Churches, Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Anglican Communion, consider Simon Peter a saint and associate him with the foundation of the Church in Rome, even if they differ on the significance of this and of the Pope in present-day Christianity.

Attributes: man crucified head downwards, apostle with keys, book, cock, fish or cross

Patronage:Bakers, Bridge builders, Butchers, Fishermen, Harvesters, Cordwainers, Horologists, Locksmiths, Cobblers, Masons, Net makers, Papacy, Shipwrights, against Frenzy, Foot problems and Fever; Bath Abbey, Berchtesgaden Abbey, Exeter College, Oxford, Universal Church, Peterhouse, Cambridge, many towns

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St. Paul the Apostle (born ca. AD 10, died ca. AD 67) (שאול התרסי in Hebrew), the "Apostle to the Gentiles" was, together with St.Peter, the most notable of Early Christian missionaries. Unlike the Twelve Apostles, Paul did not know Jesus in life; he came to faith through a vision of the risen Jesus and stressed that his apostolic authority was based on his vision. As he wrote, he "received it [the Gospel] by revelation from Jesus Christ" ; according to Acts, his conversion took place as he was traveling the road to Damascus.

Paul is the second most prolific contributor to the New Testament (after Luke, whose two books amount to nearly a third of the New Testament). Thirteen letters are attributed to him with varying degrees of confidence. The letters are written in Koine Greek and it may be that he employed an amanuensis, only occasionally writing himself.

Attributes: book and sword

Patronage: weavers, carpet weavers, saddlers, ropemakers, basket makers, theologians, against spasm, sickness of ears, thunderbolt and hail, snake bites, for rain and large crop

Prayer: