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Penitent Thief

Christian saint; thief pardoned by Jesus on the cross in Luke 23:39-43

Key facts

Born: Galilee, Herodian Kingdom of Judea , Roman Empire
Died: c. 30 –33 AD, Golgotha Hill outside Jerusalem , Judea , Roman Empire
Cause of death: Crucifixion
Venerated in: Eastern Orthodox Church , Catholic Church , Oriental Orthodox Church
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Major shrine: Chapel of Saint Helena , Church of the Holy Sepulchre , Jerusalem
Feast: 25 March (Roman Catholic), 26 March (Poland) , Good Friday (Eastern Orthodox)
Attributes: Wearing a loincloth and either holding his cross or being crucified; sometimes depicted in Paradise
Patronage: Prisoners (especially condemned ) , Funeral directors , Repentant thieves, Merizo, Guam , San Dimas, Mexico , Church of St. Dismas, the Good Thief, United States

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

The penitent thief, also known as the good thief, wise thief, grateful thief, or thief on the cross, is one of two unnamed thieves in Luke the Evangelist's account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke describes him asking Jesus to "remember him" when Jesus comes into his kingdom. The other, as the impenitent thief, challenges Jesus to save himself and both of them to prove that he is the Messiah.

He is officially venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Catholic Church and Oriental Orthodox church. The Roman Martyrology places his commemoration on 25 March, together with the Feast of the Annunciation, because of the ancient Christian tradition that Christ (and the penitent thief) were crucified and died exactly on the anniversary of Christ's incarnation.