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| St. Peter | A Galilean fisherman, the chief Shepherd of Christ's flock, was chosen by Him to be the Prince of the Apostles, and the Rock upon which He was to build His indestructible Church. |
| St. Andrew | A follower at first of John the Baptist, then of Christ, led his brother, Saint Peter, to Christ. He preached the Gospel in Asia Minor and then in Greece, where he was crucified. |
| St. John | The Apostle Jesus particularly loved, probably because of his great innocence and purity. It was to the care of this apostle that the crucified Christ ectrusted His blessed Mother. |
| St. Philip | A Galilean, is remembered for telling Nathanael that he had found the Messias, and for taking him to Christ. His preaching took him to Phrygia, where he suffered martyrdom. |
| St. Bartholomew | Believed to be the Nathanael whose innocence and simplicity won high praise from the lips of Christ when Philip brought him to our Lord. He suffered and died in Armenia. |
| St. Thomas | Famous for his refusal to believe that Christ had risen until he had touched the wounds of His hands and side. Saint Thomas is said to have evangelized parts of Persia and India. |
| St. Matthew | Was a wealthy tax collector of Capharnaum when he was called to follow Christ. The first Gospel was written by him. He preached in Ethiopia, where he died a martyr's death. |
| St. James The Less | Was the brother of Saint Jude and a cousin of Jesus. While serving as Jerusalem's first bishop, he was arrested by the Jews and killed by being hurled down from the Temple roof. |
| St. Matthias | Chosen by lots to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26). |
| St. Simon | The brother of James and Jude, is suramed the Zealot. He and Saint Jude are said to have preached in Egypt and Persia and to have suffered martrydom for the faith in Mesopotamia. |
| St. Matthias | Followed Jesus from John's baptism to the Ascension, was chosen to take the place of Judas among the Apostles. Little is known with certainty of his life and martrydom. |
| St. James the Greater | James is called James the Greater because another younger apostle was named James. (He should not be confused with this James, or the James who is a relative of Jesus, or the James who was an elder of the Church in Jerusalem and heard Peter's defense of baptizing Gentiles.) |
