Saint James the Greater, Apostle
S. Iacobi Apostoli
Saint James the Greater, son of Zebedee and brother of Saint John, was one of the first Apostles called by Our Lord and the first of the Twelve to give his life for the Gospel.
Saint James, called the Greater to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name, was the son of Zebedee and the brother of Saint John the Evangelist. A fisherman of Galilee, he was called by Our Lord at the lakeside together with his brother, and the two left their nets and their father at once to follow Him. Among the Twelve, James was admitted with Peter and John into the inner circle of the Apostles, present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter, at the Transfiguration upon the mountain, and at the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Apostle in the Gospel
Our Lord gave to James and John the name Boanerges, “sons of thunder,” a title that speaks of the ardour of their temper and their zeal. The Gospel does not hide their human frailty: they once asked to call down fire upon a village that would not receive their Master, and their mother sought for them the first places in the Kingdom. To this last request the Lord answered with a prophecy of the cup He Himself would drink, and which they too would share. In James that word was fulfilled with the first martyrdom among the Apostles.
After Pentecost James preached the faith of Christ, and the Acts of the Apostles records the manner of his death: “Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1–2). Thus, about the year 44, he became the first of the Twelve to seal his apostleship with his blood, drinking the chalice of his Lord.
His veneration
From early centuries the memory of Saint James was held in great honour, and a venerable tradition associates his apostolic labours and the resting of his relics with Spain, at Compostela, which became one of the foremost places of pilgrimage in all Christendom. Across a thousand years countless pilgrims have walked the long roads to his shrine, and he is invoked under the title Santiago as the heavenly patron of Spain. His feast, kept on the twenty-fifth of July, honours an Apostle who followed his Master from the first call by the lake to the final witness of martyrdom.
The Collect
Be Thou, O Lord, the sanctifier and guardian of Thy people; that, fortified by the help of Thine Apostle James, they may please Thee in their conduct and serve Thee with untroubled minds.
Esto, Dómine, plebi tuæ sanctificátor et custos: ut, Apóstoli tui Jacóbi muníta præsídiis, et conversatióne tibi pláceat, et secúra mente desérviat.
Patronage
He is the patron of Spain and of pilgrims, venerated at the great shrine of Santiago de Compostela; he is also invoked by those who labour and travel.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his feast is observed on 25 July as a feast.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint James the Greater?
His feast is kept on 25 July in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Second Class feast. The date is the same in the modern calendar.
Who was Saint James the Apostle?
He was one of the Twelve Apostles, the son of Zebedee and brother of Saint John the Evangelist. Called by Our Lord while fishing in Galilee, he belonged to the inner circle of Apostles and was the first of the Twelve to be martyred, put to death by King Herod Agrippa around the year 44 (Acts 12:1–2).
What is his connection to Compostela?
A venerable tradition associates his relics with Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which became one of the greatest pilgrimage shrines of Christendom. He is honoured as the patron of Spain under the name Santiago.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
These pages are offered with love for the saints and for all who seek them. If anything here should need correcting, we humbly beg your pardon and ask your help — kindly write to [email protected], and we will mend it as soon as we can.
Receive the coming feasts, Mass times, and reflections from our community — sent with care, never spam.