The Seventy-Two Evangelists are those whom the Lord chose in addition to the Twelve Apostles and sent forth to assist in the great work of preaching the Gospel. In Saint Luke’s Gospel we read: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1). Among these chosen ones were included the holy Evangelists Mark and Luke, who would go on to write two of the four canonical Gospels of the Church.

Over time, the Twelve Apostles added others to their number, who were sent out alongside the original Seventy-Two to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth. Sent as heralds before the Lord himself, they prepared the hearts of the people to receive Christ — going ahead of him into every town and village as living witnesses to the coming Kingdom of God.

Sent Two by Two

The Lord’s instruction to send them out in pairs carried deep significance. No witness was to go alone — each was accompanied by a brother, a living confirmation of their testimony and a support in the dangers and hardships of the road. The Seventy-Two went forth without purse, bag, or sandals, trusting entirely in the provision of God and the hospitality of those who received them. They were empowered to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to proclaim that the Kingdom of God had come near.

Their Legacy in the Church

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church honors the memory of the Seventy-Two Evangelists as a collective feast, giving thanks for the faithful men who carried the light of the Gospel into the world at the very beginning of the Church’s mission. Their example stands as an enduring call to every generation — to go forth, to proclaim, and to trust that the One who sends is also the One who provides. The Church celebrates their feast as a reminder that the work of evangelism is not the calling of a few, but the vocation of all the baptized.