How did St.Matthias die?

St. Matthias was an apostle of Jesus Christ who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot after he betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. According to the Acts of the Apostles St. Matthias was selected through a miraculous drawing of lots. After he was chosen Matthias traveled with the other apostles preaching the Gospel and performing miracles. Unfortunately the exact circumstances of his death are unknown but it is believed that he was martyred in the 1st century AD.

The most likely cause of death was stoning or crucifixion two of the most common forms of execution in the Roman Empire. However there are also some accounts that state that he was beheaded in Judea. Other legends indicate that he was thrown into the sea in a sack or that he was martyred in Colchis an ancient kingdom located in modern-day Georgia. Ultimately it is difficult to determine the exact manner of St. Matthias death.

Nevertheless his legacy lives on. He is celebrated and remembered each February 24th on St. Matthias Day and he is the patron saint of alcoholics tailors and carpenters. He is also one of the patron saints of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. In addition his feast day was once a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church but this no longer applies.