“Go and make disciples of all nations” — Matthew 28:19
The Apostles
Jesus chose twelve ordinary men — fishermen, a tax collector, a political zealot — to be his closest followers. After his resurrection they carried the Gospel from Spain to India, and almost all of them died as martyrs.
How do we know? The Gospels and Acts tell us where most Apostles came from and how Peter, James and Judas died. For the others, we rely on early Church writers (such as Eusebius, c. 260–340) and ancient local traditions. These are marked “by tradition” — they are widely held but cannot be proven like modern history.
At a glance
| Apostle | Born / from | Preached in | Died (by tradition) | Feast |
|---|
Each Apostle
Tip: choose Detailed version at the top to read each Apostle's full life story.
Sources & further reading
- The Bible: Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:14–16; John 1:35–51; Acts 1:13–26; Acts 12:2
- Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History (4th century), books II–III
- Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent), Apostles and articles on each Apostle
- Pope Benedict XVI, General Audiences on the Apostles (2006)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Apostle; Wikipedia, Apostles