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Saint Andrew the Apostle is considered the protector of the city of Patras. In the western part of the city, towards the shore, there are three objectives that remember the last years of his life and his martyrdom. First is the great cathedral dedicated to the Holy Apostle, consecrated in 1974 and containing some of his holy relics, as well as fragments of the cross on which he was crucified. I introduced the cathedral in this video: • Catedrala SFÂNTUL ANDR... . Next to the cathedral is an older church with a bell tower, also dedicated to the Holy Apostle, next to which is an ancient spring used by Saint Andrew in his work of Christianization and which is the subject of this video. The church was built between 1836-1843 on the ruins of a former Byzantine basilica destroyed by the Ottomans. In turn, that basilica was built on the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Demeter, near which was that holy, healing spring. The church is simple in architecture, but of great spiritual depth through the superb Byzantine-style frescoes and icons and especially through the marble canopy representing the tomb of Saint Andrew. The Saint's relics were venerated here until 357 when they were taken to Constantinople, after which, over the following centuries, they were taken to various places, reaching the Vatican where in 1964, the head and a finger were returned to Patras, and are now in the cathedral. Next to the marble sarcophagus is a cross which probably contains fragments of the original cross on which Saint Andrew was crucified, brought back from Marseilles.
Saint Andrew, the first called by Jesus Christ to the apostolate, after fulfilling his mission of spreading the Word of God in the area of Scythia (north and west of the Black Sea), arrived here in Patras where he continued his work. For Christianization, he would also have used the ancient spring of the goddess Demeter, a spring located near the church. After performing several miracles, including healing Roman dignitaries, he came into conflict with the Roman authorities. Here, in the vicinity of the spring, the crucifixion of Saint Andrew took place on an X-shaped cross, the cross whose shape will bear the saint's name. The year 66 CE it is accepted as the year of the martyrdom, but it is not known for sure, being the time of one of the persecutions of the emperors Nero (54-68) or Diocletian (81-96).
The spring, the old church and the new cathedral of Patras are important places of pilgrimage.
27 мар 2024
