Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, with gold leaf.
Also called Nathanael. One of the 12 disciples of Christ, whose memory is commemorated on June 11 and August 24 by the Roman Catholic Church. This day is celebrated by those who bear the name of Bartholomew and Nathanael.
New Testament scholars have concluded that the Apostle’s name is Nathanael and Bartholomew is his surname. His hometown was Cana of Galilee and he maintained friendship with Philip, the later Apostle.One day, he meets his friend Philip, who says to him: “Listen my friend. He of whom Moses wrote in the Law and the prophets prophesied, we have found him. It is Jesus, the child of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth.” Bartholomew is amazed and wonders: “Is it possible for something good to come out of Nazareth?”. “Come and you’ll see,” his friend countered. Bartholomew, obeying Philip’s request, went to see Christ, as a result of which he believed and became his disciple.Nothing is mentioned in the New Testament about the life and activity of Bartholomew. From ecclesiastical traditions, however, we have the information that he preached the Gospel in the Indies, unknown exactly where, in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Parthia and Armenia, where he was beheaded or crucified by King Astyages. His remains were encased in a stone sarcophagus, thrown into the sea and washed up on the Aeolian Islands in Italy.
