Saint James the Less

The second Apostle named James, he is called "James the Less" because he was the younger of the two. He's often called "St. James the Younger". He is generally regarded as the same person as James "the Lord's brother", mentioned by St. Paul (Gal. 1:19). This does not mean that the mother of Christ bore other children. The word "brother" meant "relatives" in the
original language. By reading Matt. 27:55-56, we can see that the mother of James is not the mother of Jesus.

He is the author of the first Epistle, the Book of James, and was the first bishop of Jerusalem. He is believed to have been martyred by a cloth-fuller's club or staff, which he is shown holding. Such staffs had been used in the process of finishing cloth to compact the material by beating it.

He is the patron saint of pharmacists, hatmakers, clothing milliners, and dying people.

His feast day is May 3.