Celebrate the Feast of Saint James, Patron Saint of Spain, Guatemala and Loíza, Puerto Rico

Saint James the Greater was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

He is the patron saint of Spain and Guatemala. He is also the patron saint of Galicia, the nation-state located in northwest Spain, and many small towns in the Latin world, including Loíza, Puerto Rico.

St. James

At this time when we re-examine the meaning of icons of identity, Saint James is a complicated figure. The way some cultures use it to justify theft and violence is sickening and unholy.

In Spain, Saint James is an icon of the Reconquista, the Christian wars that drove the Moors out of Spain and expelled the Jewish people. Basically, he is a powerful national symbol that represents the wanton killing of people of color.

We think it's weird to celebrate someone who symbolizes our death, but maybe there's some genius in there. Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight. Preserving your own forbidden traditions by hiding them in the colonizer's most revered traditions can be brilliant. We don't honor our gods. We honor yours. LOL.

Feast of Saint James 2022

July 25 is her birthday. The next celebration will take place on Monday, July 25, 2022.

Who is Saint James?

James is a common biblical name and there are many variations of it in different languages. Santiago and even San Diego are variants.

There is another apostle Saint James, the brother of Jesus, who is known as Saint James the Minor to distinguish between the two.

Saint James the Greater was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John the Apostle. He was one of the first apostles of Jesus and was present at the Transfiguration.

Symbols of the Saint