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Andrew was a fisherman by trade, born in Bethsaida. A disciple of John the Forerunner, he left St. John to follow Jesus Christ following his baptism and brought along his brother, the Apostle Peter. Both are numbered among the Twelve Great Apostles.
After Pentecost, the lot fell to St. Andrew to preach in:
-Byzantium where he appointed St. Stachys as its
first bishop.
-Thrace, Peloponnese, Greece, and Epirus where
he converted many to the Faith
and ordained bishops and priests for them.
-Georgia: he entered Georgia from Ajara, preached
Christianity in Atsquri, built a small church there and left
the miracle-working icon of Theotokos.
-Russian lands: in Kiev he planted a cross on one of the
high hills of Kiev, and he prophesied a city that would have many golden-domed churches, and a bright Christian future for the Russian people.
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 the saint 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.
Kontakion (Tone 2)
Let us praise Andrew, the herald of God,
the namesake of courage,
the first-called of the Saviour's disciples
and the brother of Peter.
As he once called to his brother, he now cries out to us:
"Come, for we have found the One whom the world desires!"
