Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Saint Jude the Apostle was born into a Jewish family in Paneas in Galilee, later known as Caesarea Philippi. A farmer by trade and likely fluent in both Aramaic and Greek, he was chosen by Jesus as one of the Twelve and is remembered in the Gospels as “Judas (not Iscariot),” a distinction that guarded the Church from confusing him with the betrayer. Tradition also knows him by the name Thaddeus, and Christian art often shows him with a flame, recalling his presence at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. After the Resurrection, Jude is held to have preached the Gospel with apostolic courage across many lands, including Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and beyond, strengthening believers and calling the nations to Christ. Because his name was long overshadowed by Judas Iscariot, devotion to him later grew as Christians discovered a powerful intercessor in seemingly impossible needs. He is venerated as patron of lost causes and desperate or hopeless situations, and also of hospitals and Armenia. His feast day is October 28.

Saint Fidelis of Como was born in Italy, though the details of his early life are not known. He died around the year 304, remembered by Christian tradition as a soldier and martyr in the days of fierce persecution. Ancient legends link him with the soldier-saints Carpophorus and Exanthus: in some accounts they were Roman soldiers who refused to take part in anti-Christian violence and were captured and beheaded near Como; in another, Fidelis helped imprisoned Christians at Milan escape and was executed while fleeing toward the Alps. Many hold it more likely that he served as a missionary sent from Milan to evangelize the still-pagan regions around Lake Como, sealing his witness with his blood. Fidelis has been venerated at Como since early centuries, with miracles reported at his tomb and churches raised in his honor. His relics have been claimed and honored in Como, Milan, and Arona, strengthening devotion across northern Italy. He is invoked as patron of Calusco d’Adda, Castelnuovo Magra, Mello, Palazzolo sull’Oglio, and Plesio. His feast day is October 28.

Saint Paraskevi of Iconium was born in Iconium to a wealthy Christian family. She received the name Paraskevi, meaning “Friday,” because she was baptized on that day—the day the Church remembers the Lord’s Passion. From her youth she dedicated herself to Christ with the purity and courage of a consecrated virgin, desiring that her whole life proclaim the Gospel. According to ancient tradition, Paraskevi led a man named Antoninus to the Christian faith. Her witness soon drew hostility, and during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian she was arrested and suffered martyrdom in her native city. Her steadfast confession made her beloved among the faithful, and accounts of her passion helped spread devotion to her across the Christian East. Over time her veneration became especially strong among the Slavic peoples, where she was honored as a protector of daily life—associated with traders and fairs, marriage, and the safeguarding of fields and cattle. She is also remembered as patroness of Medvidka. Her feast day is October 28.