Saint
Saint James the Greater (Santiago de Compostela)
- Country / origin
- Holy Land — Spain
- Life
- d. c. 44
- Feast
- 25 July
Awaiting theological review
Who was this?
Son of Zebedee and brother of John, called by Jesus from his fishing boats. With Peter and John he saw the Transfiguration and the agony in Gethsemane. He was the first of the Twelve to die for Christ, put to death by Herod Agrippa.
In Scripture: Matthew 4:21–22Acts of the Apostles 12:1–2
Biblical profile: James, son of Zebedee →Patron of
- pilgrims
- Spain
- Santiago de Compostela
When to ask for intercession
- before a pilgrimage or a journey
- to follow Jesus with courage
A short prayer
Saint James, apostle of the Lord, intercede for me on the road of life, that I may follow Jesus to the end.
Written for cento53 as a simple personal prayer of intercession — not a liturgical text.
What we know — and how
Tradition holds
That he preached in Spain and that his remains rest in Compostela is a tradition; the tomb has been venerated since the 9th century and the Way of Saint James grew from it. Scripture records only his martyrdom in Jerusalem (Acts 12:2).
A saint for what you are living
- A journey
The next question