St. Andrew
Andrew is the brother of Peter, and their father John was a fisherman. After Pentecost, St. Andrew is said to have preached in Scythia and Greece, in what is now modern Turkey. One story-tradition reports him going to Byzantium, where he appointed Stachys as bishop. He was then martyred at Patras, in Greece, on an X-shaped cross. The body of St. Andrew was brought to the Church of the Apostles - built by Constantine the Great. In 1270 A.D., his relics were deposited in the Cathedral of Amalfi in Italy. St. Andrew was made the patron of Scotland and Russia. This title was based on traditions which say that his relics where brought by St. Rule to Scotland in the fourth century A.D. There is also one other story-tradition that says he preached in Russia as far as Kiev.
St. Thomas
An ancient story says that after Pentecost, St. Thomas was captured and sold as a slave to Gundafor, king of India. After learning that Thomas had a mastery of architecture, King Gundafor ordered Thomas to build a magnificent palace. In the king's absence, St. Thomas distributed to the poor all the money he had received for the palace construction project. Upon the return of Gundafor, he learned what happened, and was about to flay St. Thomas alive, when Gundafor's brother reported that he had seen in a vision the palace that St. Thomas had prepared for him in heaven. The king liberated Thomas and was baptized together with many of his people. So, St. Thomas went all over India evangelizing many people. However, he got into trouble with King Mazday for Christianizing his wife. Eventually, he was led to the top of a hill, was martyred, and then buried at Mylapore near Madras. St. Thomas was declared as the apostle of India by Pope Paul VI in 1972 A.D. St. Thomas is also the patron of builders, architects, surveyors, the blind, Pakistan, and the East Indies.
St. James the Less (or the Younger)
This James was the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18) and a first cousin of Jesus (Matthew 13:55). After Pentecost, St. James became the bishop of Jerusalem. James was also part of that first council of the Church where a decision was made that Gentiles who became Christians need not follow Jewish laws. He is also the author of the epistle in the New Testament that bears his name. How he was martyred is told differently by story-traditions. One tradition says that he was thrown down from the pinnacle of the Temple by the Pharisees, and then stoned to death. Another tradition says that as he was being stoned, St. James knelt down and prayed for his persecutors. One of the chief priests tried to defend St. James because of his prayer, but another one took a heavy stick or club and struck St. James on the head, killing him instantly. His death is commonly accepted to be in 62 A.D. St. James is also the patron of druggists, hatmakers, and fullers.
To be continued.
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