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- Patrons: Bill & Gayle Belcher
- Stitcher: Gayle Belcher
- In memory of our mothers M. Lee Massey and Mattie Lou Belcher
St. Simon the Apostle
St. Simon the Apostle is represented by a book and a fish, indicating that he was a preacher of the Gospel and “a fisher of men.”
The only thing the Gospels tell us about Simon is that he was one of the disciples, and that he was called “the Zealot” (Zelotes). Tradition has consistently associated Simon as an apostle to Persia. Some accounts state that he was martyred, a tradition generally accepted by the Western Church. The Monology of Basil, however, says that Simon died a peaceful death at Edessa. Whatever the facts, accounts conflict and reliable data are lacking.
There are other scholarly questions about Simon. One involves his appellation “Zelotes.” Whether in fact he had been a member before his conversion of one of the several factions called “Zealots,” or whether this title refers to his zeal for the Jewish law, is not known, but he has consistently been identified by it.
Adapted from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2003