The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is celebrated on June 29. These two saints are often referred to as the great "Pillars of the Church." Simon was a family man and a local fisherman.
He was uneducated and acknowledged himself a sinful man who was unworthy to be in Jesus' presence (Luke 5:8) But Jesus had big plans for Simon. Renaming him Peter (Matthew 16:18), Jesus chose to make him into a solid foundation on which the Church was to be built. In Matthew 16:19, Peter receives authority to open or close the door to the Kingdom of God. He used the keys to open the way for all. The Keys of Heaven are seen as a symbol of papal authority and are seen on papal coats of arms.
Saul of Tarsus, was well educated in the Jewish law and actually persecuted the church and tried to destroy it. He supported the stoning of St. Stephen , the first Christian martyr. The account of Saul's conversion is found in Acts 9:1-19. Saul began to use the name Paul as he became a missionary to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews.
Each of these men would have been considered as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church. But God has bigger plans than we humans can ever imagine. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul.
These two men, according to St. Augustine, bore "in their dual persons a single purpose with combined strength of mind, body, and voice." (catholic.com/magazine) They definitely had their disagreements. (Acts 15:1-35, Galatians 2:11-16) but reconciled in the end as they brought the Gospel to Rome.
Both men were martyred there roughly between 64 and 67 AD.
"These are the ones who, living in the flesh, planted the Church with their blood; they drank the chalice of the Lord and became friends of God." (Entrance antiphon of the Solemnity)
Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.