Saint Simon the Apostle the Zealot
Date of celebration: 10/05
The Apostle Simon was one of the twelve Disciples of the Lord and he was the brother of Judas the Levite.
Saint Simon the Apostle was called a zealot, because of the fervor and zeal with which he preached the word of the Gospel. He came from Cana of Galilee and is known as Simon the Cananite (or Nathanael or Bartholomeus – son of Pholomeus). After the ascension of Christ and the grace of Pentecost, Simon engaged in a wide missionary work.
He taught the Gospel in Persia, where, after demolishing the myth of polytheism, he revealed the light of the Gospel truth to a multitude of people. He then went to Africa, where he preached the life-giving Word of the true God and Savior, from Egypt to Mauritania. The last place of his wonderful missionary activity was Britain. There, after teaching the people the Christian faith, he was arrested by the pagans, tortured and suffered death on a cross.
Note: Simon the Zealot also celebrates on April 22.
