Peter, Apostle, Pope and Martyr

Even the great saints need God’s forgiveness and grace. Peter, like the rest of us, turned away from Jesus for a time. He was a son of John and the brother of Andrew, but as a leading disciple of Christ, he famously denied even knowing him! Nonetheless, Christ built his Church on Peter, as his rock. And after the Resurrection, in a wonderful scene on the beach, Jesus invited Peter to reconciliation and forgiveness, and asked him to “feed my sheep.” This feast is called the Chair of Saint Peter and commemorates Christ handing over the leadership of the Church to Saint Peter and his successors. We celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29.