St. Andrew The Apostle

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one Jesus’ twelve apostles. Along with his brother Simon, Andrew was a fisherman in Galilee when they became disciples of Jesus. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist and introduced his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:41) Andrew is mentioned a few times in the Gospels and only by name in the Acts of the Apostles. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Andrew spread the Gospel, initially in Jerusalem and later outside of Palestine. Various early sources mention Scythia, Epirus, Achaia, and Hellas (Greece) and perhaps Byzantium as his mission fields. Andrew was martyred during the persecution of Nero, probably in Achaia on November 30, A.D. 60. A later tradition says that he was executed on a cross in the shape of an x and was tied to it rather than nailed, so that his suffering was prolonged. About 357, St. Andrew’s relics were brought to Constantinople and placed in a church dedicated to the Apostles. The relics were brought to Italy by Cardinal Peter of Capua in the thirteenth century and deposited in the cathedral of Amalfi. St. Andrew is the patron of Russia and Scotland.