Catholic Saint Bartholomew's Day (Feast of Saint Bartholomew)

On August 24, the entire Catholic world celebrates the Feast of Saint Bartholomew Bartholomew is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who was called by him fourth, after Andrew, Peter and Philip Bartholomew was born in Cana of Galilee in the 1st century BC He began his missionary activity after the Ascension of Christ He preached the Gospel together with the Apostle Philippi and his sister Mariamne in the cities of Asia Minor, India and Armenia Bartholomew had the gift of healing the sick and possessed First, in the city of Hierapolis, Bartholomew healed a man who had been blind for 40 years Crowds of sick people began to come to the saint’s house, freed from their serious illnesses But the authorities did not like the sermons of the apostles and Bartholomew, Philip and Mariamne were executed by crucifixion But during the execution a terrible earthquake began and the pagans, frightened, removed the saints from the crosses Philip was already dead by that time Bartholomew and Mariam brought the word of God to Armenia It was here, in honor of Bartholomew, that the temple in Albak was erected According to legend, the saint healed the Armenian king Sanatruk and his son Trdat from terrible leprosy Bartholomew was also killed in Armenia by the king's brother Astyages He was prompted to take this step by hostile pagan priests At first the saint was crucified upside down, but even the terrible torment did not prevent him from continuing his sermons But the bloodthirsty executioners did not stop there They took the apostle down from the cross and tore the skin off Bartholomew's body while he was still alive After this he was beheaded This explains the image of the saint on icons with scarlet skin and with a knife in his hand There are several versions of the saint's burial Some historians say that it rests near the city of Albana, identifying it with modern Baku Others are inclined to believe that the apostle's grave was located in the east of modern Turkey But there is a legend that Bartholomew’s body was thrown into the sea by the pagans, and was found on the shore of the Italian island of Lipari The saint continued to work miracles even after his death Several strong men were unable to lift the saint’s body, which the children who came running easily did According to this version, the remains of Bartholomew rest on Fr Lipari In one of the temples of the city, a figure of the saint made of gold and silver was exhibited And every year in ancient times, the celebration of Bartholomew’s Day began with the carrying of this statue through the streets Around 410, the saint's relics were recovered and were transferred from temple to temple several times But since the 10th century, some of the relics have been constantly kept in the Roman Church of San Bartolomeo, some in monasteries on Mount Athos, and some in the Cathedral of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women in Baku Despite the torment that the apostle had to experience during his life, the celebration in his honor is celebrated noisily and cheerfully This folk holiday is especially loved in Italy Festive masses are held in churches There are real folk festivities on the streets Sack running competitions, tug of war, performances by various groups and a religious orchestra Those interested can visit exhibitions and performances Large fairs are organized where manufacturers from all over the country come to treat people with their products In the evening, Italians prepare a festive table at home so that the whole family can gather around it