Our Patrons | Saints Peter & Paul

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Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Peter and Paul are often seen in the Church as a complementary pair. Peter represents the institutional church, while Paul represents the charismatic or spiritual church. Both are associated with the church in Rome. But what binds them together, above all, is that they were utterly seized by Jesus’ message.

Saint Peter

The New Testament often portrays Peter as rash and headstrong. One minute, he is a paragon of faith; the next, he has completely misunderstood what Jesus wants. He frequently does not seem to get what is going on, and he even denies Jesus when Jesus is about to be executed. And yet, despite his shortcomings and weaknesses, he has a heart for the Lord. He is the Prince of the Apostles, and as the first bishop of Rome, he holds a special place in the hearts of Catholic Christians.

Text from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Read more

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Saint Paul

Scripture introduces Paul as a violent persecutor of the first Christians. In fact, he oversees the execution of the man whom the Acts of the Apostles depicts as the first martyr, St. Stephen (Acts 7:58-8:1). He considers himself a late addition to the Jesus movement, referring to himself as “one untimely born” (1 Cor 15:8). However, following his encounter with Christ near Damascus, he became one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church.