St. Simeon was the son of Cleophas, otherwise called Alpheus, brother to St. Joseph and of Mary, sister of the Blessed Virgin. He was therefore nephew both to St. Joseph and to the Blessed Virgin, and cousin to Christ. Simeon and Simon are the same name, and this saint is, according to the best interpreters of the holy scripture, the Simon mentioned who was brother to St. James the Less and St. Jude, apostles. He was eight or nine years older than our Savior. We cannot doubt that he was an early follower of Christ as his father and mother and three brothers were. Nor does St. Luke leave us any room to doubt but that he received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost with the blessed Virgin and the apostles for he mentions present St. James and St. Jude and the brothers of our Lord. When the Jews massacred St. James the Less, his brother Simeon reproached them for their atrocious cruelty. St. Simeon was unanimously appointed the successor to the See of Jerusalem. He was arrested and probably crucified in about 110, under the emperor Trajan. He ruled over the Church of Jerusalem for forty years.