June 29, 2023

FEAST DAY

The feast day is always June 29th for both St. Peter (San Pedro) and St. Paul. The day they died for their martyrdom.  In addition, the congregation also has a mass for St. Peter (San Pedro) on Thanksgiving morning at 10am every year. St. Peter was the first Pope. San Clemente was the third pope.

In Christian tradition, St. Peter was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. Roman Catholic tradition holds that Jesus established St. Peter as the first pope (Matthew 16:18). Jesus also gave him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19), which is why he is often depicted at the gates of heaven in art and popular culture. After Jesus’ death, he served as the head of the Apostles and was the first to perform a miracle afterPentecost (Acts 3:1–11). The two Letters of Peter in the Bible are attributed to his authorship, though some scholars dispute this.

St. Peter is believed to have died as a martyr for his faith. Although his death is not described in Scripture, numerous writers of the time (or shortly thereafter) described his death as having occurred in Rome during the reign of the emperor Nero in 64 CE. According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus Christ.

As the traditional first pope of the Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter has a long list of places, occupations, and causes under his patronage. He is the patron saint of popes and of Rome and of many cities that bear his name, such as St. Petersburg and Saint-Pierre. As a former fisherman, he is the patron saint of netmakers, shipbuilders, and fishermen, and, because he holds the “keys of heaven,” he is also the patron saint of locksmiths. Possibly because he is said to have walked on water with Jesus, he is the patron saint of cobblers and of those with foot problems.

According to Catholic tradition, Jesus founded the papacy in the first century, when he chose St. Peter, the leader of the apostles, to be his earthly representative. “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church,” he states in chapter 16 of Matthew. “I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Those words, which now circle the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, serve as the biblical mandate for the papacy. All popes are considered symbolic descendants of Peter and are thought to hold “Peter’s Chair”