Philip of Bethsaida, << behth SAY ih duh, >> Saint, was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. He is prominent in the Gospel of John and was one of the first to be called as an apostle. He was present at the miracle of the feeding of the multitude (John 6:5-7). When a group of Greeks wanted to see Jesus, they approached Philip for an introduction (John 12:20-22). At the Last Supper, Philip asked to see the Father. Jesus replied, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:8, 9). This special interest in Philip indicates that he was highly regarded by the author of the Gospel of John. Philip should not be confused with Philip the Evangelist, who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.
According to later tradition, Philip preached in Asia Minor (now part of Turkey), where he was martyred. Philip’s feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is May 3. The Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate his feast day on November 14.
