Feast Day: November 30
Title: Protoclete (“First-called”)
Patron of: Fishermen, Scotland, Russia, Greece, singers, unmarried women
❖ Early Life and Calling
Saint Andrew the Apostle was born in Bethsaida, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee, into a humble Jewish family. He was the brother of Simon Peter, later Prince of the Apostles. Like Peter, he was a fisherman by trade.
Before meeting Christ, Andrew was a disciple of Saint John the Baptist, indicating his early yearning for the coming of the Messiah. Upon hearing John proclaim Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36), Andrew, moved by grace, followed Christ immediately. Thus, he is rightly known as the “Protoclete”, the First-called of the Twelve Apostles.
After spending a day with Our Lord, Andrew hurried to bring his brother Simon to Jesus, saying with joy: “We have found the Messiah!” (John 1:41). Thus, his apostolic mission began not with preaching to multitudes, but with bringing one soul to Christ—a model for all evangelization.
❖ Life as an Apostle
Saint Andrew was present at many of the key moments in the public life of Our Lord. He witnessed the miracles, the teachings, the Passion, Death, and glorious Resurrection of Christ. He was present at the Last Supper and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
After Pentecost, the Apostles, filled with apostolic zeal, went out to the ends of the earth. According to sacred tradition and the writings of early Fathers and chroniclers, Saint Andrew journeyed through Asia Minor, Scythia (modern-day Ukraine and Russia), Thrace, and finally Greece, converting countless souls, working miracles, and planting the Church in pagan lands.
He is especially venerated as the Apostle of the Greeks, and in the East, as the spiritual founder of the Church of Constantinople.
❖ Miracles and Preaching
Saint Andrew’s apostolate was accompanied by numerous signs and wonders. Ancient accounts tell of his casting out demons, healing the sick, and even raising the dead, all in the Name of Jesus Christ. He converted entire cities, often enduring severe trials, hunger, and persecutions.
In Patras, a city of Greece, he converted many through his preaching and miracles, including the Roman proconsul’s wife. Enraged by his wife’s conversion, the governor Aegeas ordered Andrew to renounce his faith. Refusing, the Apostle boldly proclaimed the truth of Christ.
❖ Martyrdom
Saint Andrew was sentenced to death by crucifixion, the same death Our Lord suffered. However, out of contempt, and perhaps to prolong his agony, Aegeas ordered that Andrew be tied—not nailed—to a cross in the form of an X. This cross, henceforth called the “Saint Andrew’s Cross”, became his enduring symbol.
He hung upon the cross for two days, continuing to preach to the crowds gathered around, encouraging them in the Faith. Tradition holds that he greeted the cross with joy, exclaiming:
“Hail, O Cross, consecrated by the Body of my Lord, adorned with His limbs as with rich jewels. I come to thee exulting and glad; receive me with joy into thine arms!”
After great suffering, Saint Andrew gave up his soul to God in prayer.
❖ Veneration and Legacy
His relics were honored and distributed throughout Christendom. The city of Patras, where he died, became a pilgrimage site. His relics were later brought to Constantinople, and from there, portions were taken to Scotland, where he became the patron saint of the Scottish people.
The Scottish flag bears the white X-shaped cross on a blue field—the Cross of Saint Andrew. He is also the patron of Russia and Greece, and widely honored in both Eastern and Western Christendom.
His feast on November 30 marks the beginning of the Liturgical Year in many traditional calendars, especially in the Roman and Byzantine Rites, as Advent often begins near or on his feast.