Andrew

Andrew holds a singular distinction among the twelve apostles: he was the first to be called by Jesus. Originally a disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew was present when the Baptist pointed to Jesus and declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God" (Jn 1:36). Andrew immediately followed Jesus, spent the day with Him, and then ran to find his brother Simon Peter with the breathless announcement: "We have found the Messiah" (Jn 1:41).

Throughout the Gospels, Andrew appears as the apostle who brings people to Jesus. It was Andrew who found the boy with five loaves and two fish before the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand (Jn 6:8-9). It was Andrew, together with Philip, who brought the Greek seekers to meet Jesus (Jn 12:22). This consistent pattern of connecting others to Christ has made Andrew the patron saint of missionaries and evangelists.

Tradition holds that Andrew preached the Gospel in Greece, Asia Minor, and along the Black Sea. He was martyred in Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross — the "St. Andrew's Cross" or saltire — because he felt unworthy to die on the same type of cross as his Lord. His relics are venerated in Patras and in St. Peter's Basilica. In Catholic tradition, Andrew's feast on November 30 marks the beginning of the Advent season's approach, and he is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and fishermen.