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Basilica di San Pietro · Saint Joseph altar

Location reported by institutional sources

The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches places Simon and Jude’s relics beneath the altar of Saint Joseph the Worker in Saint Peter’s left transept. The two are venerated together. Jude Thaddaeus is distinct from Judas Iscariot; this is not Judas Iscariot’s grave.

Sources checked: 2 October 2026 · Next review: 2 April 2027

Dicastery for the Eastern ChurchesView on the 3D atlas ↗
FROM THE ACTUAL LOCATION

Look closer

Select a photograph to enlarge it. Captions explain what is shown.

The Altar of Saint Joseph in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches’ guide associates this altar’s location with relics of Simon and Jude Thaddaeus; the photograph shows the altar.

Fallaner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · 25 September 2020 · Resized and converted to WebP.

The façade of Saint Peter’s Basilica, which houses the Altar of Saint Joseph. This shows the church building; Simon and Jude Thaddaeus’s relics are not visible in its exterior.

Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · 1 May 2006 · Resized and converted to WebP.

What can we establish?

The custodian reports venerated relics or a burial site. This establishes attribution and location according to the institution responsible; it does not scientifically verify the identity of every bone.

Approximate city point, not the position of a room or reliquary.

HISTORY OF THE PLACE / REMAINS

Traces across centuries

  1. 2025 Jubilee guide

    The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches guide locates relics attributed to Simon and Jude at Saint Joseph’s altar in the left transept. This is a location record in a guide, not a transfer date or proof of identity.

    Dicastery for the Eastern Churches

Learning about and visiting the site

Use the official sources above for custodial information. Opening hours, services, bookings, and access to relic spaces can change. Atlas points indicate a city area; use the custodian’s address and directions when visiting.

Photographs show the church, space, or remains identified in their captions and source dates. They do not establish the biological identity of relics or the site’s condition today.

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