ST. ANDREW THE FIRST-CALLED
The name Andrew comes from the Greek word "andreios" and means "bold, brave". Andrew was previously a student of St. John the Baptist. John pointed out Jesus as he was passing by the Jordan, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God."
Andrew was on his own humble quest for the truth, and when the Truth came before him, Andrew recognized Him and never looked back.
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ (John 1: 35-42).
Andrew and his brother Peter made their living as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee and From a hunters of fish, became a hunters of people for Christ.
The history of evangelization began with St. Andrew and St. Peter. They both baptized people and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. The mission of the Mission of Saint Andrew was oriented to the east and Saint Peter to the west. As brothers being one, they wanted to give a message of uniting east and west.
After following Christ during His earthly ministry, beholding Him after His resurrection, and receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, St. Andrew heeded Our Lord’s commandment to preach the Gospel in all the world and baptize the nations in a most literal way.
He was martyred in the Greek city of Pátrai.
The letter X, which reflects the shape of the cross on which the Apostle Andrew died, is the first letter of Christ's name in Greek (from Christos, or Anointed One).
The attributes of this saint are: "the cross of St. Andrew" in the shape of the letter X, book, fish, net.
ABOUT US
Like St. Andrew was able to proclaim the Word of God and defend his beliefs, so Members of the Order want to build a sense of the value of faith and the Word of God.
The International Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle brings together lay people and clergy, people of culture, science, and entrepreneurs.
The Order is a sanctuary for people who want to know the life and martyrdom of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The Order is also open to those people who are looking for the right path - they have gone in the world of that time and they want to find inner and spiritual peace and the way to God.
MISSION
Due to the great importance and merits of St. Andrew the Apostle, we see the need for the functioning of the International Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle.
Our guiding mission is to unite Christians scattered all over the world and impart knowledge about the life and martyrdom of this saint. Our missionary duty is to reach as many people as possible, in particular
in countries where the figure and merits of this great missionary and martyr are not sufficiently widespread.
The task of the Order is to teach people not to succumb to false information and suggestions, to care for the soul and intangible goods.
A special task of the Order is to care for the Christian Churches and to take further steps towards development on the path to the restoration of full unity. It should be emphasized that the Order's charitable work is rooted in the spirituality of its members.
We want to spread the teaching that if it is real strong believe in yourself it means that then you can overcome the impossible. There are no language, cultural or distance barriers. Our message as an Order among other things is to help people find their way on the basis of the life of St. Andrew. Being strong in your convictions, resolutions, and respect for your neighbor, regardless of his origin, religion or skin color.
The Order wants to communicate to people the importance of nature, therefore a science about respect for Nature and Mother Earth is extremely important.
We want to teach people how to restore the lost contact with Mother Earth and find inner harmony. The aim of the Order is to establish support for Scientific and Medical Institutes, support young talents, extensive charitable activities, ecumenical cooperation on an international scale, as well as building ecological awareness and promoting healthy food.