Roman Catholics commemorate on Sunday, May 14, the Feast of Saint Matthias, the 12th apostle of Jesus Christ, who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, took the place of Judas Iscariot after Judas betrayed Jesus and took his own life out of guilt. In the country, commemorative masses will be held at the St. Matthias Parish in Tumauini, Isabela which is under the Diocese of Ilagan. At the St. Matthias the Apostle Parish in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, holy masses in his honor will be celebrated at 6 a.m., 9 a.m., and at 5 p.m. The 5 p.m. mass will be officiated by Monsignor Eugenio G. Reyes, director of the Archdiocesan Commission on Church Heritage of the Archdiocese of San Fernando. The praying of the holy rosary will be held at 5:30 a.m. A mass baptism will be held at 11 a.m. and a solemn procession at 6 p.m. This year’s feast coincides with the 60th parish fiesta. Known as a loyal and avid follower of Jesus from His baptism at the Jordan River until His Ascension, St. Matthias was one of the 72 disciples mentioned in the Holy Bible who were sent out by Christ to evangelize and spread the Word of God. St. Peter, as the leader of the apostles and Vicar of the Church, had one criterion for Judas’ replacement, that like Andrew, James, John, and himself, the new apostle must have been a follower of Jesus from the very beginning. St. Matthias, who served as bishop of Jerusalem, was chosen by lot over another righteous man named Barsabba. After receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Turkey, and Ethiopia, where he converted thousands to Christianity. According to tradition, St. Matthias died a martyr of the faith in 80 A.D.