While many of the twelve apostles have their own separate feast, Sts. Philip and James the Lesser share the same day on May 3.
Why is that? Are they related?
Date of the transfer of their relics
Sts. Philip and James the Lesser are not related by blood, and share the same feast day simply because their relics were transferred to Rome to the same church.
According to the St. Andrew Daily Missal, "May 1 [the saints' feast day prior to the 1950s], celebrates the solemn translation of their relics to the church of the Holy Apostles at Rome, which is dedicated to them, and where they still rest."
Originally their shared feast was on May 1, but when that day became dedicated to St. Joseph the Worker, their feast was moved to May 3, the first available day on the general calendar.
While their remains are interred in the same church in Rome, the two apostles had gone their separate ways after the Ascension of Jesus, with St. James staying in Jerusalem and St. Philip preaching in Turkey.
Scholars believe that Saint James the Less authored the “Epistle of St. James” found in the New Testament. After the apostles dispersed and left Jerusalem, James remained and became the first bishop in the holy city. He remained there for several decades until he was stoned to death by the Jewish authorities in the year 62. Some of his relics can be found in the Basilica Santi Apostoli, in Rome. It is also believed his tomb is located at the St. James Cathedral in Jerusalem.
In the years following Pentecost, Philip ministered to Greek-speaking communities. Little is known about his adventures, except that he was martyred around 80 AD. His relics are located in the Basilica Santi Apostoli, in Rome.
One thing to keep in mind is that when reading through the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 6 and 8 can be confusing, as they mention a man named Philip, and at first glance he appears to be one of the original twelve.
However, when those passages are more closely examined, they reveal an entirely different person, often referred to as Philip the Deacon.
Philip the Deacon has his own feast day, and that day in the Roman Rite is October 11, though it is not on the universal calendar of the Church.
