Faith & Community

St Peter's Day Celebrations

This week our students have been celebrating all things St Peter. With his Feast Day on June 29th often falling during the school holidays, we celebrate early. Students will participate in a number of different "fish themed" activities, so make sure to ask them what they have been doing.

Can you unjumble the Scavenger Hunt words? There are red fish and green fish hidden around the school. The students had to find all the words, and then unjumble the two sentences. 

Background on St Peter

St Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples, and one of the church’s earliest leaders. St Peter’s real name was Simon or Simeon. Simon and his brother Andrew were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee before being called by Jesus to be his disciples. St Peter is the Patron Saint of fishermen, netmakers, shipbuilders, popes and the city of Rome.

His feast day is 29th June, and is shared with St Paul. (St Paul was also an apostle and, together with St Peter, was responsible for the early foundations of the Catholic Church. While it is understood they may not have died on the same day, tradition says they were martyred by Emperor Nero in Rome on the same day, hence we celebrate them together.)

Peter witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles, teachings and actions. He was a faithful follower, who, despite promising never to betray Jesus, denies him three times before Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter was often sorry, and is an example of being granted Jesus’ forgiveness.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter journeyed far and wide to spread the news of the Gospel and to encourage people to become Christian and to live their lives as Jesus would. It is said he began the Roman Catholic Church, and was the first Bishop of Rome and the first Pope of the Catholic Church.

Jesus uses the Aramaic, an ancient Hebrew language, word Cephas, which means “rock” when he is referring to Simon. The new testament was written in Greek, and the Greek word for rock is petros, hence Simon was given the name of Peter. Peter was Jesus’ rock, meaning he was his strong, solid support.

Peter is often pictured with the keys of heaven, and whatever is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Binding and loosing refers to permit and forbid things to happen.) It is this symbolism that leads to the legend of Peter as the keeper of the “pearly gates” of heaven.

He was martyred (sentenced to death) sometime around AD 64, and at his request, he was crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as Jesus.

The famous Vatican church, St Peter’s Basilica, is a shrine to him and is considered to be built on the site where he was buried.