Acts 1:13

13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

Mark 3:18

18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot

John 1:40

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

Luke 6:14

14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

John 1:44

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

Matthew 4:18

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Matthew 10:2

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

John 6:8

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,

John 12:22

22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

John 1:41

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

Mark 1:16

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Mark 1:16-18

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Mark 13:3

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,

1. He was born in Israel

St Andrew was born between 5 and 10 AD in Bethsaida in Galilee, in what is now Israel. He was the son of Jonah, and his brother, Simon Peter, would later become St Peter.

Throughout his life, St Andrew travelled far and wide preaching Jesus’ teachings, and his influence endured long after his death. For this reason, many places have a personal connection with St Andrew and claim him as their patron saint.

2. He was Jesus’ first disciple

Andrew and his brother Simon Peter were the first of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Both fishermen, they are said to have immediately followed Jesus when he stated, “come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The Byzantine Church honors Andrew with the Greek name ‘Protokletos’ which means ‘the first called’. Andrew remained one of Jesus’ closest disciples, perhaps most memorably spotting the boy with “five barley loaves and two fish” before Jesus fed the five thousand.

3. He was crucified on an x-shaped cross

Long after Jesus was crucified, Andrew continued to advance his teachings, instilling even Maximilla – the wife of Roman proconsul Aegeas who swore to stamp out Christianity – with an interest in Christian teachings.

In 60 AD, Aegeas ordered Andrew to be crucified. Believing himself to be unworthy of the same fate as Jesus, Andrew requested an x-shaped cross. This is represented by the saltires which feature prominently on flags, such as Scotland’s, that acknowledge St Andrew.

4. St Andrew is not just Eastern Orthodoxy’s patron saint

Many different locations have felt blessed with Andrew’s presence. For that reason, he is the patron saint of many places, including 6 countries – Barbados, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine – and various cities – Amalfi, Pienza and Sarzana (Italy), Luqa (Malta), Parañaque (Philippines) and Patras (Greece).

St Andrew is also the patron saint of fishermen, singers and pregnant women and is believed to offer protection against sore throats and gout.

5. His remains were repeatedly moved

Andrew preached Jesus’ teachings far and wide. After his death, his remains were transported further and wider. Around 357 AD, Roman emperor Constantius II ordered Andrew’s remains to be moved from Patras to Constantinople (now Instanbul). In 1208, Cardinal Peter of Capua took the remains to his native Amalfi.

While another story suggests a Greek monk named Regulus brought some of Andrew’s remains to Scotland, it is more likely that the Bishop Acca of Hexham, a renowned collector of religious relics, purchased them in 732 AD.

6. St Andrews Cathedral in Fife became a pilgrimage site for the saint

The apparent presence of relics of St Andrew – a tooth, kneecap, arm and finger – in Scotland saw St Andrews Cathedral in Fife become a popular site of medieval pilgrimage. This was until the 16th century when it fell into disrepair because Catholic mass was outlawed during the Scottish reformation.

In 1870, the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a piece of St Andrew’s shoulder blade to Scotland and in 1969 Pope Paul VI gifted Cardinal Gordon Gray part of the saint’s skull. The relics are displayed at St Andrew’s altar in the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary in Edinburgh.

7. St Andrew is intrinsically linked to Scotland’s independence

The formalization of St Andrew as Scotland’s patron saint followed from the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath. Written by Scottish barons to Pope John XXII who had excommunicated Robert the Bruce, the letter is both a declaration of Scotland’s independence from England and a commitment to Christ.

The letter states the belief that “the most gentle Saint Andrew” would keep Scots “under his protection as their patron for ever”. Andrew’s brother being St Peter, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, held huge sway over Pope John XXII.

8. St Andrew’s Scottish iconography predates the national flag

St Andrew was commonly depicted in Scottish iconography long before the country’s national flag was created in his honor. He was featured on official seals from 1180 onwards, notably the seals of the Guardians of Scotland who ruled over the country in the absence of a king during the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1286.

Just under a century later, in 1385, the Parliament of Scotland insisted Scottish soldiers should distinguish themselves with a white saltire on a blue background. Since then, this has been Scotland’s national flag.

The crucifixion of St Andrew on a ‘cruz decussata’ of which he became symbolic.

10. St Andrew’s Day originated in the USA

A day dedicated to St Andrew was only established in the mid-18th century, and surprisingly it was neither instigated in Scotland nor any other place who claimed St Andrew as their patron saint.

In 1729, a group of wealthy Scottish ex-pats set up the St Andrew’s Society of Charleston in South Carolina, USA, and celebrated St Andrew’s Day on 30 November, the anniversary of his crucifixion. The St Andrew’s Society of the State of New York then helped popularize the day from 1756 onwards.

“Love is acceptance. When you love someone . . . you take them into your heart, and that is surely why it hurts so much when we lose someone we love, because we lose a part of ourselves.”

“If we strive for goals, relishing in the pleasure of circumstance, nothing is enjoyable, and life becomes purposeless.”

“It appears we have no need to seek for Christ. People seek that which they don't have, that which they need. But we seem to have Christ. It's true, we have icons of Christ, but we do not have Christ Himself; we have His name, but only on our lips—not in our hearts; we know Him, but only in word—not in deed.”