St. Peter the Apostle​

St. Peter, originally known as Simon, was a fisherman from Bethsaida called by Jesus to become a “fisher of men”. Christ gave him the name Kepha (Peter), meaning “Rock,” declaring, “Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Peter’s journey was one of zeal, transformation, failure, and ultimate redemption. After the Resurrection, Jesus lovingly restored Peter, commissioning him: “Feed My lambs. Tend My sheep”. On the day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly preached the Gospel and baptized thousands.

Most crucially for our faith, St. Peter established the Apostolic See in Antioch in 37 A.D., becoming the first bishop of the very place where believers were first called Christians. He later served in Rome, where he was martyred by crucifixion upside down, feeling unworthy to die exactly as his Lord had. Our church, named in his honor, stands firmly on the foundation of his confession of faith, his ultimate sacrifice, and the unbroken apostolic succession that flows from his throne in Antioch.