Painting of Saint Barnabas the Apostle

Barnabas (/ˈbɑːrnəbəs/; Ancient Greek: Βαρνάβας; Syriac: ܒܪܢܒܐ), born Joseph (Ἰωσήφ) or Joses (Ἰωσής), was according to tradition an early Christian, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Levite. Identified as an apostle in Acts 14:14, he and Paul the Apostle undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers. They traveled together making more converts (c. 46–48 AD), and participated in the Council of Jerusalem (c. 49 AD). Barnabas and Paul successfully evangelized among the "God-fearing" Gentiles who attended synagogues in various Hellenized cities of Anatolia. (Full article...)


Attributes: Red Martyr, Pilgrim's staff; olive branch; holding the Gospel of Matthew
Patronage: Cyprus, Antioch, against hailstorms, invoked as peacemaker
See also: Paula Frassinetti