Saint Matthias
Feast Day: February 24

An apostle of Jesus Christ, Matthias (from the Hebrew "Mattithiah": "gift of Yahweh") was originally one of the seventy disciples of Christ. In Acts 1, the apostles drew lots to decide between Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve, and Matthias was chosen. He is not mentioned again in the Bible.

Christian traditions differ on the eventual fate of Matthias, though they agree that he was martyred. Some sources claim he preached in Judea and Colchis and was crucified at Sebastopolis. Another says he was stoned to death and beheaded by Jews in Jerusalem. Greek Orthodox tradition places him preaching the gospel in Cappadocia, Turkey, where he was either crucified or hacked to bits.

An apocryphal Gospel of Matthias is generally dismissed by the Church. What were thought to be the remains of Matthias were brought to Rome from Jerusalem by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great.

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