Saint Andrew: Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew: Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Patras, Greece

Life and Martyrdom

• c. 5 BC – 30 AD: Andrew, Peter’s brother, was a fisherman from Galilee and among Jesus’ first disciples (John 1:40–42).
• 30–60 AD: Post-resurrection, Andrew preached in regions like Scythia, Asia Minor, and Greece, according to early traditions like the Acts of Andrew.
• c. 60 AD: Tradition states Andrew was martyred in Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross (now called St. Andrew’s Cross) by Roman authorities.

Burial and Tomb Development

• c. 60 AD: After his martyrdom, Andrew was buried in Patras, likely in a modest tomb revered by local Christians.
• 356 AD: Emperor Constantius II transferred most of Andrew’s relics to Constantinople’s Church of the Holy Apostles, leaving Patras with minor remains.
• 1204–1460 AD: During the Fourth Crusade (1204), relics were taken to Amalfi, Italy. In 1460, Andrew’s head was gifted to Pope Pius II and kept in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica.
• 1964 AD: Pope Paul VI returned the head to Patras as a gesture of goodwill, reuniting it with other relics in the newly built Cathedral of Saint Andrew, consecrated in 1974.

Current Status

The cathedral’s crypt houses Andrew’s relics, including his skull and fragments of his cross, making it a significant Orthodox Christian site, though the tomb’s original location is lost to time.

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