Saint Apostle James the Son
of Zebedee.

James was born into a family of Jewish fishermen on the Sea of Galilee; his parents were Zebedee and Salome. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were preparing to fish with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome.

James, along with his brother John, and Peter, formed an informal triumvirate among the Twelve Apostles. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry: the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration of Jesus, and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

James and his younger brother, St. John the Apostle, are designated Boanerges (translated in Mark 3:17 as "Sons of Thunder"), perhaps referring to their characteristic fiery zeal (Mark 9:38 and Luke 9:54). Saint James, after the Descent of the Holy Spirit, preached in Spain and in other lands, and then he returned to Jerusalem.

He openly and boldly preached Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and he denounced the Pharisees and the Scribes with the words of Holy Scripture, reproaching them for their malice of heart and unbelief. The Jews could not prevail against Saint James, and so they hired the sorcerer Hermogenes to dispute with the apostle and refute his arguments that Christ was the promised Messiah Who had come into the world.

The Jews persuaded Herod Agrippa (40-44) to arrest the Apostle James and sentence him to death (Acts 12:1-2). Saint James calmly heard the death sentence and continued to bear witness to Christ. One of the false witnesses, whose name was Josiah, was struck by the courage of Saint James. He came to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

When they led the apostle forth to execution, Josiah fell at his feet, repenting of his sin and asking forgiveness. The apostle embraced him, gave him a kiss and said, "Peace and forgiveness to you." Then Josiah confessed his faith in Christ before everyone, and he was beheaded with Saint James in the year 44 at Jerusalem.

Saint James was the first of the Apostles to die as a martyr. His body was translated to Spain where his relics continue to work miracles even to this day. After his martyrdom at the hands of Herod Agrippa, his followers carried his body by sea to Hispania, where they landed at Padrón on the coast of Galicia, then carried it over land for burial at Santiago de Compostela.

In the early 9th century his tomb was purportedly discovered in what is now Santiago de Compostela, and a church was built on the site of his tomb. In the Middle Ages his relics attracted Christian pilgrims from all over Europe. The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the famous pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago, remain important destinations for Christian pilgrimage to this day.

Early Calling and Ministry

James, also known as James the Great, was a son of Zebedee, the brother of the Apostle John and a fisherman. James was born into a family of Jewish fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, and his parents were Zebedee and Salome. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were preparing to fish with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him.

James and his younger brother, St. John the Apostle, are designated Boanerges (translated in Mark 3:17 as "Sons of Thunder"), perhaps referring to their characteristic fiery zeal. James, along with his brother John, and Peter, formed an informal triumvirate among the Twelve Apostles. It was this James, with John and Peter, who witnessed the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, the Lord's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Missionary Work and Martyrdom

Saint James, after the Descent of the Holy Spirit, preached in Spain and in other lands, and then he returned to Jerusalem. He openly and boldly preached Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and he denounced the Pharisees and the Scribes with the words of Holy Scripture, reproaching them for their malice of heart and unbelief. The Jews persuaded Herod Agrippa (40-44) to arrest the Apostle James and sentence him to death (Acts 12:1-2).

Josiah confessed his faith in Christ before everyone, and he was beheaded with Saint James in the year 44 at Jerusalem. Saint James was the first of the Apostles to die as a martyr. His body was translated to Spain where his relics continue to work miracles even to this day.