St. James the Less

St. James the Less (flourished 1st century ce; Western feast day May 3; Eastern feast day October 9) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is not to be confused with the apostle St. James the Greater, son of Zebedee, or St. James, the Lord’s brother, who was not one of the Twelve. Scholars do not think that he or St. James the Greater authored the Letter of James in the New Testament.

It is possible that James the Less is the son of Mary (not the mother of Jesus) who is mentioned among the women at Jesus’ crucifixion and tomb (Mark 15:40, 16:1; Matthew 27:56). Depending upon the Bible consulted, he is probably the father (Revised Standard and New English) or brother (Authorized and Douay) of the apostle St. Jude (Judas, not Iscariot). Nothing further is known of him, and a late legend of his martyrdom in Persia is spurious.

In the Western church, his identity with St. James, the Lord’s brother, was originally assumed in the feast of Saints Philip and James on May 1, the date of the dedication of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, where supposed relics of these saints were brought about 560.