Arch Symbols - Apostles

ST. SIMON - a fish caught on a boat hook [He and St. Jude preached the gospel throughout Syria and Mesopotamia.]

ST. BARTHOLOMEW - a flaying knife in the Bible [After preaching the word throughout Asia, Bartholomew was flayed alive before crucifixion]

ST. JUDE - a ship denoting his many missionary travels [After the death of Christ, it is said that he traveled through Syria and Asia Minor with St. Simon Zeloter, preaching the gospel.]

ST. PHILIP - basket (loaves and fishes) Tau cross ["crux commissa" or "tau": believed by some to be the true form of the Cross. Tertullian wrote, "The Greek letter and our Latin letter T are the true form of the cross, which, according to the Prophet Ezekiel (9:4), will be imprinted on our foreheads in the true Jerusalem."]

ST. JAMES THE LESS - windmill [the son of Alphaeus, James was Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem. The Epistle of St. James reveals a grave, meek, and calm mind, nourished with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, given to prayer, devoted to the poor, resigned in persecution.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST - sword and snake [the snake is in reference to attempt upon his life at the hands of the Emperor Domitian, who, according to legend ordered John to drink a cup of poisoned wine but when John took up the cup to obey, the poison departed in the form of a snake.]

ST. MATTHEW - chest and axe [Before being raised by Jesus to the role of Apostle, Matthew was a tax collector in the service of the Romans as symbolized by the treasure chest. The axe is the instrument of his martyrdom.]

ST. ANDREW - a double hook and a cross in the shape of an x (known as St. Andrew's cross) instrument of his martyrdom. He is said to have founded the church in Russia. He is the patron saint of both Russia and Scotland.

ST. THOMAS - lance, arrows, square [From doubting Christ's resurrection he later became an apostle to India. His efforts to construct a heavenly rather than an earthly palace for the Indian ruler are symbolized by the builder's square. The arrows and lance recall his martyrdom; Thomas was shot through with arrows and then pierced by a lance]

ST. JAMES THE GREAT - escallop shells which symbolizes pilgrimage and a pilgrim's staff and wallet. [The son of Zebedee]

ST. PAUL - Spiritus Gladius [Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus before his conversion. He embarked on three missionary journeys that took him to Syria, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece and elsewhere. Paul was martyred in Rome, probably by beheading, in 68 A.D. Paul spoke of the Word of God as the "Sword of the Spirit."

ST. (SIMON) PETER- keys and upside down cross (known as St. Peter's cross) [The upside down cross recalls Peter's martyrdom. From Mt 16:19 Jesus said to Peter " I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."]