Saint Andrew

The older brother to St. Peter, according to the New Testament, Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Much like his younger brother, Andrew was also a fisherman. Andrew's very name means strong and he was known for having good social skills. Jesus called them and he asked the two to become disciples and "fishers of men." Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels, but it is believed Andrew was one of the closer disciples to Jesus. It was he who told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes, according to John 6:8. When Philip wanted to speak to Jesus about Greeks seeking him, he spoke to Andrew first. According to Christian tradition, Andrew went on to preach the Good News around the shores of the Black Sea and throughout what is now Greece and Turkey. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Patras. He was bound, rather than nailed, to a cross, as is described in the Acts of Andrew. He was crucified on a cross form known as "crux decussata," which is an X-shaped cross. Today this is commonly referred to as "St. Andrew's Cross." It is believed Andrew requested to be crucified this way, because he deemed himself "unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus." Andrew's remains were originally preserved at Patras. However, many of Andrew's relics were transferred to Constantinople by order of Roman emperor Constantius II around 357. They eventually ended up in Fife, Scotland. But in September 1964, Pope Paul VI had all of St. Andrew's relics that ended up in Vatican City sent back to Patras. Now, many of Andrew's relics and the cross on which he was martyred are kept in the Church of St. Andrew in Patras. St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen. He is also the patron saint to several countries and cities including: Scotland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Patras. A beautiful church dedicated to him is in Rome, known as San Andrea della Valle, and it is actually the scene of the first Act for Puccini's opera 'Tosca.'