Order of Carmelites

Feast of St. Andrew

Today, November 30, is the feast of Saint Andrew.

Andrew was the first Apostle. He was a fisherman by trade and the brother of Simon Peter. He was also a follower of St. John the Baptist.

Andrew went through life preaching and encouraging people to follow Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. His preaching route was along the Black Sea and the Dnieper River, and as far Kiev and Novgorod. He became a missionary in Asia Minor and Greece, and quite possibly in modern Russia and Poland. He was the first preacher of Christianity in Georgia.

He deemed himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus. Thus he was martyred on a saltire (X-shaped) cross and was said to have preached for two days from it.