24th February: St Matthias' Day

Today is the feast day of St Matthias. Here are some things you may not know about him:

1. St Matthias was the apostle who replaced Judas, according to the Acts of the Apostles.
2. Of all the apostles, Matthias is unique in that Jesus didn't personally appoint him - but was voted in by a meeting of disciples after Jesus had ascended into heaven. It was Peter who suggested that they nominate two possible replacements. The other nominee was Joseph called Barsabas (whose surname was Justus). After praying for God to show them which was the best candidate, the disciples voted, and Matthias won.
3. Although Jesus didn't appoint him, it does seem likely that Jesus knew him - according to Acts, he had been a follower of Jesus since his baptism, even though he isn't mentioned in any of the gospels.
4. St Matthias is the patron of alcoholics; carpenters; Gary, Indiana (where Michael Jackson came from); Great Falls-Billings, Montana; smallpox; tailors; hope and perseverance.
5. There are a few fragments of a lost gospel of Matthias. The fragments suggest Matthias wrote it but early Church Fathers attributed it to heretics in the 2nd century. There's not enough evidence either way since most of it is missing. In it, he promotes asceticism and fighting the urges of the flesh.
6. Whether he did any writing or not, he would certainly have done some preaching although different traditions have different ideas about where his mission field actually was. Cappadocia and on the coasts of the Caspian Sea, Colchis, now in modern-day Georgia, Ethiopia or Jerusalem have all been suggested.
7. There are varying accounts of how Matthias died as well. Most accounts say he was stoned to death, but Hippolytus of Rome claimed that he died of old age in Jerusalem.
8. His name even varies in different accounts. He has been referred to, or is thought to have been, Tolmai, Nathaniel, Zacchaeus or Barnabas.
9. People may not know where he died, but there are a couple of places which claim to be the site of his grave. The Abbey of St. Matthias, Trier, Germany, claims that Empress Helena of Constantinople, mother of Emperor Constantine I (the Great) had his body shipped there. Greek traditions say he is buried in the castle of Gonio-Apsaros, Georgia.
10. His feast day is February 24th (the 25th in leap years) in the Church of England, but other denominations celebrate it on May 14th or August 9th.

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