STATUES ON FACADE OF ST PETER’S BASILICA
1 - ST. THADDEUS
Jude, also known as Judas Thaddaeus (... – Persia, 28 ottobre 70[1]) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Among some Roman Catholics, Saint Jude is venerated as the "patron saint of lost causes". The relics of the saint are preserved in the Basilica of San Pietro, in the center of the apse of the left transept dedicated to Saint Joseph.
2 - ST. MATTHEW
Matthew the Apostle, also known as Saint Matthew and as Levi, wasone of the twelve apostles of Jesus and one of the four Evangelists. His feast day is celebrated on 21 September in the West and 16 November in the East. His tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in southern Italy.
3 - ST. PHILIP
Philip the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia. Saint Philip is the patron saint of hatters.
4 - ST. THOMAS
Thomas the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Thomas is informally referred to as "Doubting Thomas" because he doubted Jesus' resurrection when first told, followed later by his confession of faith, "My Lord and my God," on seeing Jesus' wounded body. He is often regarded as the Patron Saint of India.
5 - ST. JAMES THE ELDER
James, son of Zebedee (died 44 AD) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, traditionally considered the first apostle to be martyred. Saint James is the patron saint of Spain.
6 - ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
John the Baptist (Late 1st century BC – 28–36 AD) was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD. John is revered as a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith,and Mandaeism.
7 - CHRIST THE REDEEMER
8 - SAINT ANDREW
Andrew the Apostle (from the late 1st century BC – mid to late 1st century AD), also known as Saint Andrew and referred to in the Orthodox tradition as the First-Called, was a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. Andrew is the patron saint of several countries and cities including: Barbados, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Ukraine, Amalfi in Italy, Esgueira in Portugal, Luqa in Malta, Parañaque in the Philippines and Patras in Greece.
9 - ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
John the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the patron Saint of writers; the feast day is on 27 December.
10 - JAMES THE YOUNGER
James the Less is a figure of Early Christianity. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation.
Bartholomew (... - Syria, or Armenia, or Azerbaijan, 1st century) was one of the twelve apostles who followed Jesus. He is invoked by the faithful to protect himself from skin diseases and is the protector of the craftsmen who work with knives and cutting tools. It is celebrated on August 24th.
12 - ST. SIMON
Simon the Zealot (Acts 1:13, Luke 6:15) or Simon the Cananite or Simon the Cananaean (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18) was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. In art, Simon has the identifying attribute of a saw because he was traditionally martyred by being sawn in half.
Matthias was the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his (Judas') subsequent death. His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church. The feast of Saint Matthias was included in the Roman Calendar in the 11th century and celebrated on the sixth day to the Calends of March (24 February usually, but 25 February in leap years). In the revision of the General Roman Calendar in 1969, his feast was transferred to 14 May.
