Saint Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew's feast day is on November 30. Andrew is the brother of Simon Peter and like Simon Peter he was a fisherman. He is the first Apostle called by Christ. The Greeks call him as the Protokletos which means "first to be called".  He is the patron saint of fishermen, fish sellers, mariners, deck officers, captains, naval forces, marine scientists, marine aquarists, oceanariums, name anything that has to do with sea water, Andrew is the patron!  Andrew was martyred and crucified in a cross that looks like an "X". This figures in Scotland's national flag as the Saltire of St Andrew.

I think it was National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin who wrote that Andrew is one of the Patrons of the City of Manila. I have been looking for a Church source that documents this but can't find any. Nonetheless Manila is a port city with a lot of mariners and fishermen who ply their trade in the bay. So Joaquin's statement makes sense.

Manila's hero is Andres Bonifacio, who was named for Andrew and born on his day. Thus the Feast has become a secular holiday as Bonifacio Day. St Andrew's day therefore will be forever linked with the birth of the Filipino nation.

St Andrew is famous as the patron of the following nations 1) Scotland, 2) Russia, 3) Greece, 4) Ukraine and 5) Romania. Nov 30 is Scotland's National Day. Manila has a St Andrews Society celebrating things Scottish in the Philippines and of course honouring Andres Bonifacio. Russia's naval jack shows its links with Andrew. The Diocese of Paranaque Metro Manila has Andrew as its patron. The cathedral is in his honour. Again Paranaque is a town of fishermen. Marine scientists like me have Andrew as the patron together with St Brendan. We all go to sea and catch fish for research and for the eating later! Andrew is also the first bishop of Constantinople. Thus he is the patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul. The See is called the See of Andrew.

Andres Bonifacio, Secular Patron of the Nationalist Revolution

And that is St Andrews for most of us. In the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, St Andrew is the patron of the Church's theological seminary. 

The Old Roman Missal celebrates Andrew in the Mass collect which goes

"We humbly entreat Thy Majesty, O Lord that as the Blessed Apostle Andrew was one a teacher and ruler of Thy Church, so he may be our constant intercessor before Thee. Through Jesus Christ our  Lord, Amen"

The 1928 American BCP has it as

"Almighty God, who didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without delay; Grant unto us all, that we being called by they holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"

My personal motto is Christ's words "Duc in Altum" which Andrew and Simon Peter heard. To "put out into deep water" is the vocation of marine scientists who give that order to marine biology students.