About St. Andrew
St. Andrew was one of the first disciples called by Jesus and the brother of St. Peter. Originally a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, he had been a follower of John the Baptist before recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and bringing his brother Simon (Peter) to meet him. According to the Gospel of John, he was the first to identify Jesus as the Messiah, earning him the title “Protokletos” (First-Called) in the Eastern Church. After Pentecost, tradition holds that Andrew preached the Gospel around the Black Sea and in Greece and Asia Minor. He is said to have been martyred in Patras, Greece, on an X-shaped cross (now known as a St. Andrew’s Cross) at his own request, feeling unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus. His relics were taken to Constantinople but later moved to Amalfi, Italy, and some were returned to Patras in modern times. He is the patron saint of Scotland (where his relics were also claimed to have been taken), Russia, and Greece, as well as of fishermen and those who work on the sea. His feast day on November 30th traditionally marks the beginning of the Advent season in Western Christianity.
Prayers & Devotions
