Feast Day: November 30

Patron of Scotland, Russia, fishermen and unmarried women

Claim to fame: Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He was first a disciple of John the Baptist, but following Jesus’ baptism, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah and followed him. Interestingly, Andrew introduced his famous brother Peter to Jesus. He is always listed as one of the first four apostles in the Bible. As an apostle, Andrew spent a great deal of time with Jesus and was present at such major events as the Last Supper. He also is an early witness to the risen Christ.

Early evangelist: Since Andrew was close to Jesus, he had heard Jesus speak about what would happen to those who preached the Gospel. Despite this, he went out and spread the word of God, going to such places as Cappadocia and Byzantium. Although there isn’t accurate historical information about Andrew’s travels, it does appear he played an important role in early evangelization.

Best quote: Not much is known of Andrew, but he did play a role in one major Gospel story. When Jesus fed the 5,000 people, it was Andrew who pointed out that they only had five loaves of bread and two fish, and asked how they would feed so many people with so little.

How he died: According to tradition, under the reign of Emperor Nero, Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross by the Roman governor Aegeas. In order to make him suffer more, however, Aegeas had Andrew bound by ropes to the cross, rather than having him nailed. According to legend, he hung on the cross for two days, preaching to a crowd of about 20,000 people. On the third day, there was a blinding flash from heaven, and Andrew died.