OUR PATRON
In the synoptic Gospels, Bartholomew is listed as one of the twelve apostles. In Acts, he is named among the apostles who gathered in the upper room and witnessed the risen Christ. He was a witness of the Ascension, but afterwards no reliable record tells of his life or teachings.
Some traditions have identified Bartholomew with the apostle Nathanael (named only in the Gospel of John). He was an Israelite—and a skeptic. Prior to meeting Jesus he asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Yet when he met Jesus, Bartholomew recognized him immediately as the Messiah: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” [John 1:49].
Bartholomew’s ministry is reputed to have taken him as far as India, where he is said to have left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. An important figure in the Early Church, Bartholomew is reputed to have preached in Persia and Egypt and to have brought Christianity to Armenia. There he was martyred and according to legend he was flayed alive before being beheaded. Following martyrdom, Bartholomew was named patron of Armenia.
Bartholomew is a patronymic from the Aramaic language and means “son of Tolmai.” He is the protector of plasterers, tailors, furriers, binders, butchers, glove-makers, stewards, house painters, and tanners.
The interior of the church features two stained-glass windows depicting St. Bartholomew—the largest is a three-panel window in the sacristy and a smaller window is located in the nave above the doorway near the right-hand side of the sanctuary. An icon of the parish patron is located in a small chapel adjacent to the vestibule of the church.
Some traditions have identified Bartholomew with the apostle Nathanael (named only in the Gospel of John). He was an Israelite—and a skeptic. Prior to meeting Jesus he asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Yet when he met Jesus, Bartholomew recognized him immediately as the Messiah: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” [John 1:49].
Bartholomew’s ministry is reputed to have taken him as far as India, where he is said to have left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. An important figure in the Early Church, Bartholomew is reputed to have preached in Persia and Egypt and to have brought Christianity to Armenia. There he was martyred and according to legend he was flayed alive before being beheaded. Following martyrdom, Bartholomew was named patron of Armenia.
Bartholomew is a patronymic from the Aramaic language and means “son of Tolmai.” He is the protector of plasterers, tailors, furriers, binders, butchers, glove-makers, stewards, house painters, and tanners.
The interior of the church features two stained-glass windows depicting St. Bartholomew—the largest is a three-panel window in the sacristy and a smaller window is located in the nave above the doorway near the right-hand side of the sanctuary. An icon of the parish patron is located in a small chapel adjacent to the vestibule of the church.