Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1932, Page 4

To-day as &t. Andrew’s Day, and the day in honour of Scotland’s patron saint is observed by Scots throughout the world. The story goes that St. Andrew, a fisherman by trade, was the first of the twelve apostles to be called'. He does not figure largely in the New Testament narrations. He is believed to have suffered martrydom on a cross shaped like an X somewhere about th'e year A.D. 70, after a. preaching tour through Greece and the surrounding countries. . His connection with Scotland dates from several centuries later. A monkish legend tells how St. Regulus, or Rule, brought .some of the relics of the saint to Scotland in the fourth century. His ship w,as wrecked on tire rocky coast, hut the relics ware brought ashore at a. spot where now stands the town of St. Andrews. This accounts for the undoubtedly ancient ecclesiastical origin of that city, which, although one of the smaller towns of Scotland, is no mean city as regards age or importance. It is a famous seat of learning, besides being th e headquarters of the world’s army of golfers. Historians, however, date the arrival of the rc’vks c.bout the seventh century. Rut, without a doubt, the relics did arrive at some time, and since very early times St. Andrew has I icon Scotland s patron saint. Herein, perhaps, lies another cause of jealousy on the oait of other patron, saints, for St. Andrew was about tile first saint to he definitely ted by any country °s its patron. In this respect, as in m nv others, Scotland was very much to the fore. vSt. Andrew’s cross of martyrdom; a white saltire on a. blue ground was Scotland's flag, and it is one of the: three crosses that are incorporated in

the Union Jack. Russia, in the days before it spurned all saints, used to treat St. Andrew, with great veneration, since lie was supposed to have been the first to preach the Gospel in that land. The Russian Order of :St. Andrew was founded by 'Peter the Great in 1698. It was a much coveted decoration, being confined almost exclusively to those of royal blood.