James the Less
An apostle often identified as a "brother of the Lord," he played a leading role in the early Church of Jerusalem and is the traditional author of a New Testament epistle.
- Antiquity
- Israel
- Feast day May 3
- c. 1 – 62
- Apostle
- Martyr
- Bishop
Saint James the Less is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He is traditionally identified with James, the 'brother of the Lord' (Galatians 1:19) and is considered the first Bishop of Jerusalem. His role was central in the early Church, as evidenced in the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 15), where he presided over the Council of Jerusalem. He is also the presumed author of the Epistle of James. According to the historian Josephus and Christian tradition, he was martyred in Jerusalem around 62 AD, thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple, then stoned and finished off with a fuller's club. His piety and asceticism were legendary, and he was known as 'the Just.'
Patronage
Sayings for the day — May 3
- Si Saint-Jacques l'apôtre pleure, bien peu de glands il demeure...