25/07/2025
ST. JAMES THE GREATER,
PRAY FOR US 🙏
QUICK FACTS ABOUT
ST.JAMES THE GREATER, THE APOSTLE:
•Saint James is the patron saint of pilgrims and Spain
•His Memorial Day or Feast Day is on the 25th of July
•He was named by Jesus as one of the Sons of Thunder
•He was executed in AD 44 by beheading
Today is the Feast Day of
ST. JAMES THE GREATER
HISTORY OF ST. JAMES TGE GREATER
St.James the Greater was on of the disciples og Jesus Christ and thought to be the cousin of Jesus himself, as the son of the sister of the Virgin Mary and the brother of St. Jude Thaddeus. He worked as a fisherman with his brother, John, his father, Zebedee, and his partner, Simon. John and James were followers of John the Baptist and later, Jesus.
James, along with his brother John, left life as a fisherman when Jesus called him to be a “fisher of men”. He followed Jesus as one of his disciples until Jesus was crucified by the Romans. Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, James made a pilgrimage to the Iberian Peninsula to spread the word of Jesus.
DEATH AND RELICS OF
ST. JAMES THE GREATER
When he returned to Judea, he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44AD. This is detailed in the Bible in Acts 12 of the New Testament, “King Herod extended his hands to harm certain ones from the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also,” (Act 12 Modern English Version).
The remains, or relics, of St James the Greater, were then transported by his followers to the Iberian Peninsula (today’s Galicia in Spain) and are said to be buried in Santiago de Compostela, which is why St James the Greater is now the patron saint of Spain.
ST.JAMES PATRON SAINT OF PILGRIMS MAY YOU HELP US TO DEEPEN OUR FAITH ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CALAMITIES.
VIVA! SAN TIAGO!
HAPLY FEAST DAY,
ST. JAMES THE GREATER!
JULY 25, 2025
Nothing is known of St. James the Greater's early life, though it has been established that he is the son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of John the disciple.
The title "the Greater" was added to St. James' name to help distinguish him from the Apostle James "the Less," who is believed to have been shorter than James "the Greater."
Saint James the Greater was one of Jesus' first disciples. James was fishing with his father and John the Apostle when Jesus came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and called for the fisherman, who were unable to catch any fish that day, to dip their nets in the water once again.
When the fishermen followed Jesus' instructions, they found their nets full, and after emptying the fish on board, the boats nearly sank from their weight.
Later, James was one of only three called by Jesus to witness his Transfiguration, and when he and his brother wanted to call fire upon a Samaritan town, both were rebuked by Jesus.
Following Christ's Ascension, James spread the Gospel across Israel and the Roman kingdom as well. He traveled and spread the Word for nearly forty years in Spain.
It is said that one day, as he prayed, The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and asked him to build her a church, which he did.
Sources:
(1) St. James the Greater—Catholic Online;
(2) Flickr
