Saint Andrew the Apostle

Like many of the Apostles, little is known of Andrew's life apart from the Gospels and some ancient traditions. Andrew bar Jonas, brother of Simon Peter was born in Bethsaida (a name which means "House of the Fishermen").

At some time in the past, the River Jordan silted up and made it impossible for the boats to reach the docks of Bethsaida. This may have been the reason why Andrew and his brother Simon Peter moved to Capernaum where they formed a fishing partnership with James and John and their father Zebedee.

It seems that Andrew lived with Peter and his mother-in-law in a house not far from the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

The name Andrew comes from the Greek "Andreas" which means "manly". In later Greek tradition, he was called "Protokletos" or "the first called".

It seems that Andrew was originally attracted to the preaching of John the Baptist and became a disciple along with many others who were awaiting the coming of the Messiah. He was close enough to the Baptist that he heard John speak of Jesus of Nazareth with the words, "Behold the Lamb of God."
Andrew and another friend followed Jesus and spent the rest of the day with him. It was Andrew who told Simon Peter, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:29-51). Matthew and Mark tell us that Andrew and Peter were working together with James and John on the day that Jesus formalized their calling by saying to them, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of people" (Matthew 4:19).

Andrew seemed to be the curious one who explored new possibilities and made friends easily. His curiosity about Jesus not only led to the discipleship of his brother and working partners, but his friendship with Philip, one of the apostles who also came from Bethsaida, led to his becoming an Apostle as well. It was Philip who later brought Nathaniel to Jesus. The gospels also tell us that when some Greeks came to Philip, Philip brought them to Andrew before introducing them to Jesus. It was also Andrew who found the boy with the loaves and fishes on the day that Jesus fed the five thousand.

Apart from the gospels, all other stories are based on legend. Apparently Andrew preached in Asia Minor and Greece. When the faith began to spread north into Russia, the missionaries of Byzantium brought their devotion for Andrew with them. For this reason, Andrew is a patron saint of Greece and Russia. He is also the patron saint of Scotland because St. Regulus (St.Rule) brought some of the relics with him during his evangelization of the Scots around 345 AD. Another tradition places the arrival of the relics in Scotland in the eighth century at the time of St. Wilfred. These relics were later brought to Italy by the Crusaders in 1204 AD. Happily, a part of these relics are also enshrined in the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle in Sudbury, Ontario.

The tradition concerning the form of martyrdom endured by Andrew on a saltire cross or "X" shaped cross is less certain. This tradition can only be dated back to the seventh century. This symbol, however, makes Andrew one of the more recognizable figures among portrayals of the apostles.

The feast of St. Andrew is celebrated on November 30th.

For more information, see http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta12.htm
and check the Patron Saints Index. The saints are listed by the date of their feast.