The military commandery of St James the Greater is the newest commandery in GPUK and membership is open to all Christians who have either served in the armed forces of any country, regular or reserve, or who have a strong affiliation with the military. It is non-geographical in nature so people residing in any part of the UK are welcome to join. We endeavour to create the same bond that we all felt whilst serving in the armed forces along with the friendly inter-service rivalry and banter and to help all those who, in their devotion to duty, have suffered either mentally or physically. 

Who was St James the Greater? 

Although not a soldier himself, St James the Greater is the patron saint of knights. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Also called James the Elder, he was the first apostle to become a martyr and the only one whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament. Son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of John the Apostle, Saint James the Greater is also the Patron Saint of Spain, pilgrims and labourers. Not much is known about his early life. He was probably born somewhere in Bethsaida or Capernaum, where his father Zebedee lived. His parents appear to have had good social standing. Zebedee was a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee located south of Capernaum and had a few boatmen and hired men as servants. James was one of two sons and was likely to be the elder of the two. 

James was one of the first disciples of Jesus, though there are varying accounts of how he came to be one. There is reason to believe that Jesus had family ties with James and John. A comparison of the Synoptic gospels suggests that Mary, mother of Jesus, was a sister of Salome, mother of James. This would make Jesus a first cousin of the brothers and might explain why they became his first disciples. Saint James was called “the Greater” or “the Great” to distinguish him from Saint James “the Lesser” or “the Less,” a son of Alpheus who was believed to have been younger or shorter in stature, as well as James the Just, brother of Jesus. James continued to preach for 14 years following the death of Jesus in AD 30. He preached in Samaria and Judea, where he met his death under King Herod Agrippa I. Herod was known for his zeal in Judaism, having shown high regard for the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs. During his reign as king of Judea, the Jews felt threatened by the rapid growth of the Church. In response, Herod had members of the Church arrested on the Passover of AD 44 and ordered the beheading of James the Great for his role in Jewish-Christian communities and whose zealous temper must have left an impression on him. According to legend, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain and his head is buried under the altar of the chapel of St James the Greater in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of St James in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem.

There are variations of Saint James’ feast day based on geography. Western Christianity celebrates it on 25th July, Eastern Christianity on 30th April, and the Hispanic Church on 30th December.