PETER - Simon also called Peter by Jesus of Nazareth. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome under Emperor Nero. died between AD 64 and 68. He is traditionally counted as the first Bishop of Rome or Pope. The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories.

ANDREW - Andrew brother of Peter. Died November 30, 60 AD. Simon Peter and Andrew were both called together to become disciples of Jesus and "fishers of men". Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion at the city of Patras (Patrę) in Achaea. Crucified on an X-shaped cross, or "saltire"), now commonly known as a "Saint Andrew's Cross"

JAMES - James John's brother. James the Great also known as James, son of Zebedee or as Saint James the Greater was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. With greater meaning older or taller, rather than more important. James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. He was the first apostle to die. Herod Agrippa had him killed with a sword. Died: 44 AD Jerusalem. The Acts of the Apostles records that "Herod the king" (traditionally identified with Herod Agrippa) had James executed by the sword.

JOHN - John son of Zebedee. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome or Joanna. His brother was James. Known as the only apostle who was not martyred, and also has his own Gospel in the New Testament. Died AD 100. He outlived the remaining apostles and that he was the only one to die of natural causes. It is this disciple who, while reclining beside Jesus at the Last Supper, asks Jesus, after being requested by Peter to do so, who it is that will betray him. Later at the crucifixion, Jesus tells his mother, "Woman, here is your son", and to the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."

PHILLIP - Phillip born 3 AD, died 80 AD. He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the latter first pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. It was Philip who first introduced Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus. According to Butler, Philip was among those attending the wedding at Cana. Of the four Gospels, Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. Jesus is asked by Philip on how to feed the 5,000 people. Saint Philip is the patron saint of hatters.

THADDEUS - Thaddeus Jude, also known as Judas Thaddaeus. Saint Jude's attribute is a club. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head. This represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. Opinion is divided on whether Jude the apostle was also Jude, brother of Jesus, the traditional author of the Epistle of Jude. Generally, Catholics believe the two Judes are the same person, while Protestants generally do not. According to tradition, Saint Jude suffered martyrdom about 65 AD in Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria, together with the apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he is usually connected. The axe that he is often shown holding in pictures symbolizes the way in which he was killed. Among some Roman Catholics, Saint Jude is venerated as the "patron saint of lost causes". This practice stems from the belief that few Christians invoked him for misplaced fear of praying to Christ's betrayer, Judas Iscariot, because of their similar names. The ignored Jude thus supposedly became quite eager to assist anyone who sought his help, to the point of interceding in the most dire of circumstances. The Church also wanted to encourage veneration of this "forgotten" apostle and maintained that Saint Jude would intercede in any lost cause to prove his sanctity and zeal for Christ.

BARTOLOMEW - He has also been identified as Nathanael or Nathaniel, who appears in the Gospel of John when introduced to Jesus by Philip. Of the many miracles claimed to have been performed by Bartholomew before and after his death, two very popular ones are known by the townsfolk of the small Italian island of Lipari.

The people of Lipari celebrated his feast day annually. The tradition of the people was to take the solid silver and gold statue from inside the Cathedral of St Bartholomew and carry it through the town. On one occasion, when taking the statue down the hill towards the town, it suddenly became very heavy and had to be set down. When the men carrying the statue regained their strength, they lifted it a second time. After another few seconds, it got even heavier. They set it down and attempted once more to pick it up. They managed to lift it but had to put it down one last time. Within seconds, walls further downhill collapsed. If the statue had been able to be lifted, all the townspeople would have been killed.

THOMAS - Thomas is commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" because he doubted Jesus' resurrection when first told of it; later, he confessed his faith, "My Lord and my God," on seeing Jesus' crucifixion. Saint Thomas was allegedly martyred at St.Thomas Mount, in Chennai, in 72 A.D.

JAMES - James commonly identified with James the Less. Matthew's brother. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation. He is not to be confused with James, son of Zebedee ("James the Great or Elder").

MATTHEW - Matthew - the tax collector, some identify with Levi. James brother. Died: 74 AD. Matthew was a 1st-century Galilean (presumably born in Galilee, which was not part of Judea.

SIMON - Simon - Simon the Zealot or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Cananaean was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus.

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Judas Iscariot - According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane by kissing him and addressing him as "rabbi" to reveal his identity to the crowd who had come to arrest him. He was replaced as an apostle in Acts by Saint Matthias.