Oct. 28
STS. SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES

St. Simon is usually called the “Cananean” and also “the Zealot”, probably because he belonged to the Jewish party of “the Zealots of the Law”. St. Jude, also called Thaddeus or “Courageous”, is the author of a short epistle in the New Testament.

St. Simon is often associated with St. Jude as an evangelizing team. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia or Beirut, Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65 AD.

St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes. His bones are in the left transept of St. Peter’s Basilica under the main altar of St. Joseph in one tomb with the remains of St. Simon.

“O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to acknowledge your Name, grant graciously, through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the people who believe in you.” Opening prayer, Mass proper.