Ukrainian Orthodox Church
of St. Andrew the Apostle
Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10:00 am
Свята Літургія кожної неділі о 10:00 год. ранку
1630 Dupont St. Toronto ON M6P 3S7 Tel: (416) 766-7511
Andrew the Apostle was a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. He was born in the
village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen by trade,
hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that he will make them
"fishers of men".
Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and hastened to introduce him to his
brother. Thenceforth, the two brothers were disciples of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to
the final call to the Apostolate, they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all
things to follow Jesus.
Saint Andrew the apostle is believed to have traveled up the western shores of the Black Sea,
to the area of present-day southern Ukraine, while preaching in the lands of Scythia. He traveled
further still, up the Dnieper River, until he came to the location of present-day Kiev in 55 AD, where
he erected a cross, and where the St. Andrew's Church of Kiev currently stands, and prophesied
the foundation of a great Christian city. Hence, he became a patron saint of Ukraine.
On his journeys the First-Called Apostle endured many sufferings and torments. The final city
to which the Apostle came was the city of Patra, where he was destined to suffer martyrdom by
crucifixion. Early texts, such as the Acts of Andrew known to Gregory of Tours describe Andrew as
bound, not nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Jesus is said to have been crucified; yet a
tradition developed that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called Crux decussata (X-
shaped cross), now commonly known as a "Saint Andrew's Cross".
A few centuries later, under the emperor Constantine the Great, the relics of the holy Apostle
Andrew were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the church of the Holy Apostles
beside the relics of the holy Evangelist Luke and St Paul's disciple St Timothy. In September 1964,
Pope Paul VI ordered that all of the relics of St. Andrew that were in Vatican City be sent back to
Patras. All the relics and the cross on which he was martyred, have been kept in the Church of St.
Andrew at Patras in a special shrine and are revered in a special ceremony every November 30, his
feast day.
village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen by trade,
hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that he will make them
"fishers of men".
Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and hastened to introduce him to his
brother. Thenceforth, the two brothers were disciples of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to
the final call to the Apostolate, they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all
things to follow Jesus.
Saint Andrew the apostle is believed to have traveled up the western shores of the Black Sea,
to the area of present-day southern Ukraine, while preaching in the lands of Scythia. He traveled
further still, up the Dnieper River, until he came to the location of present-day Kiev in 55 AD, where
he erected a cross, and where the St. Andrew's Church of Kiev currently stands, and prophesied
the foundation of a great Christian city. Hence, he became a patron saint of Ukraine.
On his journeys the First-Called Apostle endured many sufferings and torments. The final city
to which the Apostle came was the city of Patra, where he was destined to suffer martyrdom by
crucifixion. Early texts, such as the Acts of Andrew known to Gregory of Tours describe Andrew as
bound, not nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Jesus is said to have been crucified; yet a
tradition developed that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called Crux decussata (X-
shaped cross), now commonly known as a "Saint Andrew's Cross".
A few centuries later, under the emperor Constantine the Great, the relics of the holy Apostle
Andrew were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the church of the Holy Apostles
beside the relics of the holy Evangelist Luke and St Paul's disciple St Timothy. In September 1964,
Pope Paul VI ordered that all of the relics of St. Andrew that were in Vatican City be sent back to
Patras. All the relics and the cross on which he was martyred, have been kept in the Church of St.
Andrew at Patras in a special shrine and are revered in a special ceremony every November 30, his
feast day.
