November 30th - Feast of St. Andrew

St. Andrew is the patron saint of several countries including Scotland, Greece, Romania and Russia.  The apostle was the younger brother of St. Peter.  After Christ's death Andrew is said to have preached the gospel to people along the Black Sea and Dnieper river as far north as Kiev.  There is also a tradition that he founded the See of Byzantium in 38 AD.  He was martyred by crucifixion in Patras.  There is speculation that Andrew was on an X shaped cross which became the basis of the St. Andrew's Cross which appears on the flag of Scotland and in England's Union Jack.