Saint Andrew

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Saint Andrew

Icon of the Apostle Andrew

Apostle, First-called

Born early first century AD, Bethsaida

mid- to late first century AD, Patras, upon an X

Died
shaped cross

Venerated
All Christianity
in

Major
Church of St Andreas at Patras, with his relics
shrine

Feast November 30

Old man with long (in the East often untidy)

Attributes white hair and beard, holding the Gospel Book or
scroll, sometimes leaning on a saltire

Patronage Scotland, Russia, Sicily, Greece, Romania,

Amalfi, Luqa (Malta) and Prussia; Army
Rangers, mariners, fishermen, fishmongers, rope-
 makers, singers and performers

Christianity portal

Saint Andrew (Greek: 'Ανδρέας, Andreas) (early first century - mid to late first century AD),
called in the Orthodox tradition Protocletos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the
younger brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" (from Greek : "ανδρεία", Andreia, manhood,
or valour), like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the
second or third century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him.
The New Testament records that St Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, by which it is
infered that he was likewise a son of Jonah, or John, (Matthew 16:17; John 1:42). He was born in
Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen by
trade, hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that He will make
them "fishers of men" (Greek: ἁλιείς ἀνθρώπων, halieis anthropon). [1] At the beginning of
Jesus' public life they occupied the same house at Capernaum (Mark 1:21-29).
The Gospel of John teaches that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first
led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40). Andrew at once recognized Jesus
as the Messiah, and hastened to introduce him to his brother (John 1:41). Thenceforth the two
brothers were disciples of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to the final call to the
apostolate, they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all things to follow
Jesus (Luke 5:11; Matthew 4:19-20; Mark 1:17-18).
In the gospel Andrew is referred to as being present on some important occasions as one of the
disciples more closely attached to Jesus (Mark 13:3; John 6:8, 12:22), but in Acts there is only a
bare mention of him (1:13).
Eusebius quotes Origen as saying Andrew preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the
Black Sea as far as the Volga and Kiev. Hence he became a patron saint of Romania and Russia.
According to tradition, he founded the See of Byzantium (Constantinople)[2] in AD 38, installing
Stachys as bishop. This diocese would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Andrew is recognized as its patron saint.
Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion at Patras (Patrae) in Achaea. Though early
texts, such as the Acts of Andrew known to Gregory of Tours,[3] describe Andrew bound, not
nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Christ was crucified, a tradition grew up that
Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called Crux decussata (X-shaped cross) and
commonly known as "Saint Andrew's Cross"; this was performed at his own request, as he
deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which Christ was
crucified.[4] "The familiar iconography of his martyrdom, showing the apostle bound to an X-
shaped cross, does not seem to have been standardized before the later Middle Ages," Judith
Calvert concluded after re-examining the materials studied by Louis Réau.[5]
Saint Andrew is the patron of Patras. According to tradition his relics were moved from Patras to
Constantinople, and thence to St Andrews (see below). Local legends say that the relics were
sold to the Romans. The head of the saint, considered one of the treasures of St Peter's Basilica,
was given by the Byzantine despot Thomas Palaeologus to Pope Pius II in 1461. In recent years,
by decision of Pope Paul VI in 1964, the relics that were kept in the Vatican City, were sent back
to Patras. The relics, which consist of the small finger, part of the top of the cranium of Saint
Andrew and small parts of the cross, have since that time been kept in the Church of St Andrew
at Patras in a special shrine, and are revered in a special ceremony every November 30.

Basilica of St. Andrew at Patras, where the saint's relics are kept, said to be erected over the
place of his martyrdom

Contents
[hide]
• 1 The Acts of Andrew
• 2 Relics
• 3 Amalfi
• 4 Traditions and legends
○ 4.1 Malta
○ 4.2 Romania
○ 4.3 Russia and Ukraine
○ 4.4 Scotland
• 5 Conclusions
• 6 See also
• 7 Notes
• 8 References
• 9 External links

[edit] The Acts of Andrew

Crucifixion of St. Andrew.
The apocryphal Acts of Andrew, mentioned by Eusebius, Epiphanius and others, is among a
disparate group of Acts of the Apostles that were traditionally attributed to Leucius Charinus.
"These Acts may be the latest of the five leading apostolic romances. They belong to the third
century: ca. A.D. 260," was the opinion of M. R. James, who edited them in 1924. The Acts, as
well as a Gospel of St Andrew, appear among rejected books in the Decretum Gelasianum
connected with the name of Pope Gelasius I. The Acts of Andrew was edited and published by
Constantin von Tischendorf in the Acta Apostolorum apocrypha (Leipzig, 1821), putting it for
the first time into the hands of a critical professional readership. Another version of the Andrew
legend is found in the Passio Andreae, published by Max Bonnet (Supplementum II Codicis
apocryphi, Paris, 1895).
[edit] Relics
Reliquary of St. Andrew at Patras.

The shrine to Saint Andrew in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.

The purported relics of the Apostle Andrew are kept at the Basilica of St Andrew in Patras,
Greece; the Duomo de Sant'Andrea, Amalfi, Italy; St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland;[6]
and the Church of St Andrew and St Albert, Warsaw, Poland. There are also numerous smaller
reliquaries throughout the world.
St Jerome wrote that the relics of St Andrew were taken from Patras to Constantinople by order
of the Roman emperor Constantius II around 357 and deposited in the Church of the Holy
Apostles. The head of the saint was given by the Byzantine despot Thomas Palaeologus to Pope
Pius II in 1461. It was enshrined in one of the four central piers of St Peter's Basilica in the
Vatican. In September 1964, Pope Paul VI, as a gesture of good will toward the Greek Orthodox
Church, ordered that all of the relics of St Andrew that were in Vatican City be sent back to
Patras. The relics, which consist of the small finger, part of the top of the cranium of Saint
Andrew, and small portions of the cross on which he was martyred, have since that time been
kept in the Church of St Andrew at Patras in a special shrine, and are reverenced in a special
ceremony every November 30, his feast day.
[edit] Amalfi
In 1208, following the sack of Constantinople those relics of St Andrew which remained in the
imperial city were taken to Amalfi, Italy, by Pedro, cardinal of Capua, a native of Amalfi.
The Amalfi cathedral (Duomo), dedicated to St Andrew (as is the town itself), contains a tomb in
its crypt that it maintains still contains the rest of the relics of the apostle.
On 8 May 2008 the relic believed to be Andrew's head was returned to Amalfi Cathedral.
[edit] Traditions and legends
[edit] Malta
The first reference regarding the first small chapel at Luqa dedicated to Saint Andrew dates to
1497. The pastoral visit of Mgr. Pietro Dusina affirms that this chapel contained three altars, one
of them dedicated to Saint Andrew. The titular painting showing Mary with Saints Andrew and
Paul was painted by the Maltese artist Filippo Dingli.
At one time, many fishermen lived in the village of Luqa, and this may be the main reason
behind choosing Saint Andrew as patron saint. The titular statue of Saint Andrew was sculpted in
wood by Giuseppe Scolaro in 1779. This statue underwent several restoration works including
that of 1913 performed by the Maltese renowned artist Abraham Gatt.
The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew on the main altar of the church was painted by Mattia Preti in
1687.
[edit] Romania
The official stance of the Romanian Orthodox Church is that Saint Andrew preached the Gospel
to the Daco-Romans in the province of Dobrogea (Scythia Minor), whom he converted to
Christianity. Nevertheless, these claims are supported by little historical evidence are usually part
of the nationalist protochronism ideology, supported by the Orthodox Church, which argues that
the Church has been a companion and defender of the Romanian people for all of their 2000-year
history.[7]
[edit] Russia and Ukraine

St Andrew's prophecy of Kiev depicted in Radzivill Chronicle.

The monument in Kiev

The Kievan hill where St. Andrew is said to have erected the cross is commemorated by the
cathedral dedicated in his name
Early Christian History in Ukraine holds that the apostle Saint Andrew is said to have preached
on the southern borders of modern-day Ukraine, along the Black Sea.
Legend has it that he travelled up the Dnieper River and reached the future location of Kiev,
where he erected a cross on the site where the St. Andrew's Church of Kiev currently stands, and
prophesied the foundation of a great Christian city.
It was in the obvious interest of Kievan Rus' and its later Russian and Ukraninian succesors,
striving in numerous ways to link themselves with the political and religious heritage of
Byzantium, to claim such a direct visit from the famous Saint. Claiming direct lineage from St.
Andrew also had the effect of disregarding any theological leanings of Greek orthodoxy over
which disagreement arose, since the actual, much later, "indirect" proselytising via Byzantium
was bypassed altogether.
[edit] Scotland

The Saltire (or "St. Andrew's Cross") is the national flag of Scotland
About the middle of the tenth century, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. Several
legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from
Constantinople to the place where the modern town of St Andrews stands today (Gaelic, Cill
Rìmhinn).
The oldest surviving manuscripts are two: one is among the manuscripts collected by Jean-
Baptiste Colbert and willed to Louis XIV of France, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris,
the other in the Harleian Mss in the British Library, London. They state that the relics of Andrew
were brought by one Regulus to the Pictish king Óengus mac Fergusa (729–761). The only
historical Regulus (Riagail or Rule) — the name is preserved by the tower of St Rule — was an
Irish monk expelled from Ireland with Saint Columba; his dates, however, are c 573 – 600. There
are good reasons for supposing that the relics were originally in the collection of Acca, bishop of
Hexham, who took them into Pictish country when he was driven from Hexham (c 732), and
founded a see, not, according to tradition, in Galloway, but on the site of St Andrews. The
connection made with Regulus is, therefore, due in all probability to the desire to date the
foundation of the church at St Andrews as early as possible.
Another legend says that in the late eighth century, during a joint battle with the English, King
Ungus (either the Óengus mac Fergusa mentioned previously or Óengus II of the Picts (820–
834)) saw a cloud shaped like a saltire, and declared Andrew was watching over them, and if
they won by his grace, then he would be their patron saint. However, there is evidence Andrew
was venerated in Scotland before this.
Andrew's connection with Scotland may have been reinforced following the Synod of Whitby,
when the Celtic Church felt that Columba had been "outranked" by Peter and that Peter's
younger brother would make a higher ranking patron. The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath cites
Scotland's conversion to Christianity by Saint Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle".
Numerous parish churches in the Church of Scotland and congregations of other Christian
churches in Scotland are named after Saint Andrew. The national church of the Scottish people in
Rome, Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi is dedicated to St Andrew.
[edit] Conclusions

Russian Orthodox icon of the Apostle Andrew, 18th century (Iconostasis of Transfiguration
church, Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia).
Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Romania, Greece, Amalfi, and Luqa in Malta. He
was also the patron saint of Prussia. The flag of Scotland (and consequently the Union Flag and
the arms and flag of Nova Scotia) feature St Andrew's saltire cross. The saltire is also the flag of
Tenerife and the naval jack of Russia. The Confederate flag also features a saltire commonly
referred to as a St Andrew's cross, although its designer, William Porcher Miles, said he changed
it from an upright cross to a saltire so that it would not be a religious symbol but merely a
heraldic device. The Florida and Alabama flags also show that device.
A statue of Saint Andrew is an important element in the story of the 1956 Hollywood wartime
romance Miracle in the Rain, starring Van Johnson and Jane Wyman. When Ruth, played by
Wyman realizes she has lost Art, the statue inside St Patrick's Cathedral, New York, becomes a
focus of devotion for her.
The feast of Saint Andrew is observed on November 30 in both the Eastern and Western
churches, and is the national day of Scotland.
[edit] See also
• St Andrew's Day
• St Andrews (disambiguation)
• Patron saints of places
• Roman Catholic calendar of saints
• Andrew
• Universidad de San Andrés, Argentina, named after the saint
• University of St Andrews, named after the Royal Burgh of St Andrews, which was named
after the saint
• Order of Saint Andrew

[edit] Notes
1. ^ Metzger & Coogan (1993) Oxford Companion to the Bible, p 27.
2. ^ The only bishopric in that neighbourhood before that time had been established at Heraclea.
3. ^ In Monumenta Germaniae Historica II, cols. 821-847, translated in M.R. James, The
Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford) reprinted 1963:369.
4. ^ The legends surrounding Andrew are discussed in F. Dvornik, The Idea of Apostolicity in
Byzantium and the Legend of the Apostle Andrew Dumbarton Oaks Studies, IV (Cambridge)
1958.
5. ^ Judith Calvert, "The Iconography of the St. Andrew Auckland Cross" The Art Bulletin 66.4
(December 1984:543-555) p. 545, note 12; according to Louis Réau, Iconographie de l'art
chrétien III.1 (Paris) 1958:79, the Andrew cross appears for the first time in the tenth century, but
does not become the iconographic standard before the seventeenth; Calvert was unable to find a
sculptural representation of Andrew on the saltire cross earlier than a capital from Quercy, of the
early twelfth century.
6. ^ "National Shrine of Saint Andrew", St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh
7. ^ Lavinia Stan, Lucian Turcescu, Religion and Politics in Post-Communist Romania, Oxford
University Press, 2007, p.48

[edit] References
• Metzeger, Bruce M. (ed); , Michael D. Coogan (ed) (1993). The Oxford Companion to
the Bible. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504645-5..
• Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd
edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.
[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint Andrew

• The Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Andrew

• Texts of The Acts of Andrew The Acts and Martyrdom of Andrew and The Acts of Andrew
and Matthew
• Saint Andrew in Orthodoxy
• St. Andrew in the National Archives of Scotland
• Andreas: The Legend of St. Andrew translated by Robert Kilburn Root, 1899, from
Project Gutenberg
• Paintings and Statues of Saint Andrew in Malta and around the world
• Biographical Study on St. Andrew the Apostle
• National Shrine to St Andrew in Edinburgh Scotland
• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Andrew the Apostle
• Patron Saints Index: Saint Andrew the Apostle
• Scottish Government Celebrations of St. Andrew's Day