St. Simon and St. Jude were among the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus, but relatively little is known about their lives after the events recorded in the Gospels.

Simon is called “the Zealot”, a title that distinguishes him from Simon Peter. Jude, also known as Thaddeus, appears in the Gospel of John asking Jesus how he will reveal himself to his disciples and not to the world.

Later Christian tradition remembers both apostles as missionaries who preached the Gospel beyond Judea and ultimately died as martyrs. Because their traditions became closely linked, the Church has long celebrated them together on October 28.