St. Andrew was a fisherman of Galilee, the brother of St. Peter, and the first of the Twelve to follow Jesus, which is why the Eastern Churches call him Protokletos, “the First-Called.” He brought his brother to Christ, preached the Gospel after Pentecost, and by tradition died on a cross at Patras in Greece. He is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia and of fishermen, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople honors him as its founder. His feast is November 30, which in 2026 falls on Monday, the day after the First Sunday of Advent, and it is also the day the popular St. Andrew Christmas Novena begins.
Who was St. Andrew?
- A fisherman from Bethsaida. Andrew and his brother Simon came from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee and fished there for a living.
- A disciple of John the Baptist. When John pointed to Jesus and said “Behold the Lamb of God,” Andrew was one of the two disciples who followed Jesus and spent the day with him. The first thing he did was to find his brother:
And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.
He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
- Fisher of men. Jesus later called Andrew and Peter from their nets by the lake: “Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
- The one who brings others to Jesus. At the feeding of the five thousand it was Andrew who found the boy with five barley loaves and two fishes (John 6:8–9), and when some Greeks wanted to see Jesus, they came to Philip, and Philip and Andrew told Jesus (John 12:20–22).
- Apostle. After Pentecost, according to early tradition, he preached in Scythia, around the Black Sea, and in Epirus, Thrace and Greece.
- Martyr. Tradition says he was crucified at Patras in Achaia (Greece), tied rather than nailed to the cross so that he would suffer longer, and that he preached to the people from the cross for two days before he died. Since the late Middle Ages he has been pictured on an X-shaped cross, the saltire or St. Andrew’s cross.
The St. Andrew’s cross and Scotland
According to Scottish legend, relics of St. Andrew were brought to the place now called St Andrews in Fife, and before a battle a white saltire appeared against a blue sky. The white X on a blue field became the flag of Scotland, and it forms part of the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. St. Andrew’s Day, November 30, is Scotland’s national day.
Most of his relics have been kept since 1208 in the cathedral of Amalfi in Italy. In 1964 Pope Paul VI returned the relic of his head, which had been kept in St. Peter’s Basilica, to the Orthodox Church of Patras as a sign of friendship.
Brothers Peter and Andrew: Rome and Constantinople
Because Andrew is honored as the founder of the Church of Byzantium (Constantinople), and his brother Peter as the first bishop of Rome, the two brothers have become a symbol of the hope for unity between Catholics and Orthodox. Each year the Pope sends a delegation to the Ecumenical Patriarch for St. Andrew’s feast on November 30, and the Patriarch sends one to Rome for the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. See also the prayer to St. Peter.
The prayer of his feast
The Collect for St. Andrew in the traditional Roman Missal:
We humbly implore thy Majesty, O Lord, that, as the blessed Apostle Andrew was for thy Church preacher and ruler; so for us he may be with thee an unfailing advocate. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
The St. Andrew Christmas Novena
The best-known prayer connected with St. Andrew is not addressed to him at all: the “Christmas Anticipation Prayer,” which begins “Hail and blessed be the hour and moment” and is prayed fifteen times a day from his feast, November 30, until Christmas. See the St. Andrew Christmas Novena for the full prayer and how to pray it.
A prayer to St. Andrew
Written for this page:
Saint Andrew, you followed Jesus the moment you met him,
and your first thought was to bring your brother to him.
Help me to bring the people I love to Christ, by my words and my life.
Pray for fishermen and all who work on the sea,
for the people of Scotland, Greece and all the lands you blessed,
and for the unity of all Christians.
Saint Andrew, pray for us. Amen.
What is St. Andrew the patron saint of?
- Scotland, Greece, Russia and Romania, among other countries, and the city of Amalfi.
- Fishermen and fishmongers, as a fisherman himself.
- The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, as its traditional founder.
- Unity between Catholics and Orthodox, as Peter’s brother.
See the full list of patron saints.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Andrew?
November 30. It is a feast in the Roman calendar and the national day of Scotland. In 2026 it falls on a Monday.
Why is St. Andrew called the First-Called?
Because, according to St. John’s Gospel, he was one of the first two disciples to follow Jesus, and he then brought his brother Simon Peter to him (John 1:35–42).
How did St. Andrew die?
Tradition says he was crucified at Patras in Greece, around the year 60. Since the late Middle Ages he has been depicted on an X-shaped cross, now called the St. Andrew’s cross.
Is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena a prayer to St. Andrew?
No. It is a prayer to God recalling the hour of Christ’s birth. It is linked to St. Andrew only because it begins on his feast day.
More saints and prayers
- St. Andrew Christmas Novena
- Prayer to St. Peter
- St. John the Apostle
- St. James
- Advent
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- John 1:40–42, Matthew 4:19, John 6:8–9 and 12:20–22 (Douay-Rheims).
- Collect and historical note: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), November 30, public domain (archive.org). OCR errors corrected.