St. Andrew was one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus (Apostles) and was originally a fisherman like his brother, St. Peter. St. Andrew was Jesus’ first disciple and is credited with spreading the gospel to Romania, Greece and Russia. 

In 60 AD, he was preaching in Patras, where he baptised the wife and brother of the Governor, Aegeus. The Governor was so incensed by this, that St. Andrew was arrested and crucified.  

It is believed that Andrew died on a diagonally transversed cross which the Romans sometimes used for executions and which, therefore, came to be called St. Andrew’s cross. It is said that Andrew could have been crucified on a standard cross, but didn’t see himself as worthy enough to die in the same manner as Jesus.