St. James the Greater, Apostle
Patron of Spain, pilgrims, laborers, veterinarians
Saint James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was with Peter and his brother in the inner circle of three apostles who witnessed the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus's daughter, and the agony in Gethsemane. He was the first of the Twelve to die for Christ, beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem about 44 (Acts 12). By ancient tradition his body was carried by his disciples to the northwest corner of Iberia, and his tomb at Santiago de Compostela became after Rome and Jerusalem the third great pilgrimage of the medieval Church. The Camino de Santiago is still walked by hundreds of thousands each year.