Saint Peter
The Galilean fisherman who became the leading voice of the Twelve
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Apostle, Martyr, Pope
- Life
- d. ~64
- Era
- 1st century
- Feast
- 29 June
- Countries
- Israel, Italy
Life story
Simon was born in Bethsaida in Galilee and later lived in Capernaum, where he fished the lake alongside his brother Andrew. The Gospels say Jesus called him, and gave him the nickname Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning rock, rendered in Greek as Petros. He was married, and his house at Capernaum appears in the Gospel accounts. His name always comes first when the Twelve are listed.
The Gospels record his bold moments and his failures alike. He was one of three disciples present at the Transfiguration, and he also denied Jesus three times on the night of the arrest. After the Resurrection and Pentecost, the Acts of the Apostles presents him as the spokesman of the Jerusalem community: preaching, healing, and being arrested more than once. He also travelled to Samaria, Joppa and Caesarea to announce the Gospel.
Later he left Jerusalem and worked in several places, Antioch among them. Two letters under his name are preserved in the New Testament. According to very early tradition he reached Rome and was martyred under the emperor Nero around the year 64; one tradition adds that he was crucified head downward. His tomb was venerated on the Vatican hill, where the emperor Constantine later had a great basilica built. Modern archaeological excavations beneath St Peter's have uncovered much of the ancient cemetery there. The Catholic Church counts him as the first bishop of Rome. Because the Gospels preserve both his strengths and his failures, he is among the most vividly drawn figures of the New Testament.
Works and witness
- Fisherman of Capernaum, called by Jesus as one of the Twelve
- Spokesman of the first Christian community in Jerusalem
- Two New Testament letters bear his name
- According to tradition, martyred in Rome under Nero around 64
- His tomb is venerated beneath St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican
Patron of
Fishermen
Saints from the same country
References
- Tân Ước: các sách Tin Mừng và Công vụ Tông đồ (New Testament: Gospels and Acts)
- Eusebius, Church History
- Martyrologium Romanum
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.