Catholic Dictionary
Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
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ANDREW
A fisherman and follower of John the Baptist. He was in John's company when he was Jesus for the first time and stayed with him for the rest of the day. Convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he took his brother, Simon Peter, to meet him the next day. This was the occasion on which Jesus told Andrew's brother that from being called Simon his name would be changed to Cephas, meaning the Rock (John 1:35-42). The two brothers were the first apostles chosen by Jesus; they accepted his summons to become fishers of men and abandoned their fishing nets (Mark 1:16-18). The miracle of the loaves which Jesus performed at Tiberias followed Andrew's report of a boy with five loaves and two fishes (John 6:5-10). According to tradition, Andrew was crucified in Achaea on a crux decussata (x), which thereafter was called St. Andrew's cross. His feast day is November 30. (Etym. Greek andreas, manly.)
