St. Philip the Apostle
Feast Day, May 3
The Patron Saint of Hatters and Pastry Chefs
St. Philip is mentioned in all the Gospels and in Acts of the Apostles. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke mention St. Philip as one of the original 12 Apostles.
Philip was a disciple of Jesus from the city of Bethsaida. He shares this hometown with the Apostles Andrew and Peter. Philip likely knew Jesus from the first days of His public ministry. He was present when John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God.
Jesus called Philip the day after He called Peter, inviting him with the words, “Follow me.” Philip was also present at the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus worked His first recorded public miracle.
St. Philip is listed multiple times in the Gospels as one of the original 12 Apostles. He is involved in several stories. Notably, when Jesus asked how they might feed the multitude, it was Philip who allegedly explained that spending a large sum of money would still be insufficient to feed everyone even a small meal.
On another occasion, it was Philip who, along with Andrew, informed Jesus that a group of Greek pilgrims wanted to speak with him. And it was Philip who asked to see God the Father, to which Jesus explained “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 12:8)
It is believed that St. Philip was born in 3 AD in Bethesda, Israel and was martyred in 80 AD in Hierapolis in Asia Minor, which is now the nation of Turkey. It is also believed that St. Philip was crucified sideways. For this reason, he is often depicted with a cross, which is sometimes on its side.
St. Philip the Apostle’s feast day is May 3. He is the patron saint of hatters and pastry chefs.