The story of Saint James

A fisherman called by Christ

Saint James the Greater was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John the Evangelist. He was one of the first disciples called by Jesus, when he was a fisherman on Lake Tiberias. Jesus chose him, along with his brother John, to form part of the very intimate circle of apostles. He witnessed key moments in Christ's life: the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in the Garden of Olives.

Named with John the "sons of thunder" (Boanergès), James was distinguished by his fiery temperament, his ardent zeal and his unshakeable loyalty. Jesus channels this energy into making him a fiery witness, ready to give his life for the Gospel.

First martyred apostle

After the Resurrection, James was sent on a mission like the other apostles. According to tradition, he preached the Gospel as far afield as Hispania, present-day Spain. There is little historical evidence to formally confirm this, but the tradition is very old and deeply rooted. It is said that he met with little success in evangelising there, but that he sowed the seeds of faith that would later flourish.

On his return to Jerusalem, he was arrested on the orders of King Herod Agrippa and beheaded around the year 44, thus becoming the first apostle to shed his blood for Christ. His death is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. He is the only apostle whose martyrdom is mentioned in the New Testament.

Compostela, the birth of a worldwide pilgrimage

According to a very old tradition, the disciples of Saint James transported his body to Galicia, in north-west Spain, where he was buried. This place became Santiago de Compostela, which in the 9th century was recognised as a major shrine.

Rapidly, Compostela became one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in Christendom, alongside Rome and Jerusalem. Thousands, then millions, of pilgrims from all over Europe took the roads to Santiago on their way to his tomb. It is a spiritual, physical and human adventure that has spanned the centuries and is enjoying a veritable revival today.

Saint James is depicted sometimes as an apostle, sometimes as a pilgrim: cloak, wide-brimmed hat, shell, staff, satchel. He became the patron saint of pilgrims and travellers.

A figure for today

Saint James is a fellow traveller for all those who seek God, sometimes through long journeys, sometimes through inner trials. He is also a model of missionary zeal, living faith and courage in the face of persecution. His life reminds us that to follow Christ is to walk behind Him fearlessly, to the very end.