Apostle Andrew

His Life

Andrew was a fisherman by trade, born in Bethsaida. A disciple of St. John the Baptist, he left St. John to follow Christ following His baptism and brought along his brother: the Apostle Peter. Both are numbered among the Twelve Great Apostles. After Pentacost, the lot fell to St. Andrew to preach in:

Byzantium 

he appointed St. Stachys as it's first bishop

Thrace, Peloponnese, Greece and Epirus 

he converted many to the Faith and ordained Bishops and Priests for them

Russian Lands 

in Kiev he planted a Cross on a high place and prophesied a bright Christian future for the Russian people

His Death

St. Andrew was martyred in Peloponnese, in the city of Patras. The Proconsul Aegeates' family believed in the miracles and preaching of St. Andrew, and the enraged Proconsul tortured and crucified St. Andrew. The new converts wanted to remove him from his cross, but would not allow them. Instead, he comforted them from the cross and as he prayed an extraordinary light encompassed him for about a half hour. When it left, he gave up his soul. It was the year 62 AD.

St. Andrew's relics were taken to Constantinople, his head to Rome and a hand to Moscow.

The Church remembers St. Andrew on November 30.