The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter celebrates the papacy and

St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome. St. Peter's original name

was Simon. He was married with children and was living and

working in Capernaum as a fisherman when Jesus called him to

be one of the Twelve Apostles.

Jesus bestowed to Peter a special place among the Apostles.

He was one of the three who were with Christ on special

occasions, such as the Transfiguration of Christ and the Agony

in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was the only Apostle to

whom Christ appeared on the first day after the Resurrection.

Peter, in turn, often spoke on behalf of the Apostles.

When Jesus asked the Apostles: "Whom do men say that the

Son of Man is?"

Simon replied: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

And Jesus said: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because

flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father who

is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter [Cephas, a

rock], and upon this rock [Cephas] I will build my Church

[ekklesian], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And

whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in

heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be

loosed also in heaven". (Mt 16:13-20)

In saying this Jesus made St. Peter the head of the entire

community of believers and placed the spiritual guidance of

the faithful in St. Peter’s hands.

However, St. Peter was not without faults. He was rash and

reproached often by Christ. He had fallen asleep in the Garden

of Gethsemane instead of praying, as Jesus had asked him to

do. He also denied knowing Jesus three times after Christ’s

arrest.

Peter delivered the first public sermon after the Pentecost and

won a large number of converts. He also performed many

miracles and defended the freedom of the Apostles to preach

the Gospels. He preached in Jerusalem, Judaea, and as far

north as Syria.

He was arrested in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I, but

miraculously escaped execution. He left Jerusalem and

eventually went to Rome, where he preached during the last

portion of his life. He was crucified there, head downwards, as

he had desired to suffer, saying that he did not deserve to die

as Christ had died.

The date of St. Peter's death is not clear. Historians estimate

he was executed between the years 64 and 68. His remains

now rest beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.