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| St. Andrew who is at Krisi (Feast Day - October 17) |
Saint Andrew, who came from Crete, lived during the reign of the iconoclast Emperor Constantine Copronymos (741-775), and at a young age became a monk. As a defender of holy icons, Andrew went to Constantinople to denounce the wicked Emperor Constantine Copronymos for taking a stand against icons and persecuting those who venerated them. As the emperor stood in the Church of the Holy Martyr Mamas, Andrew entered the church, stood before him, and openly rebuked him before all. "It would be better for you, O Emperor, to attend to military matters and to govern the people, than to persecute Christ and His servants," he said. For this, St. Andrew was beaten severely, tortured and dragged through the streets, during which an iconoclast struck him in the leg with a cleaver and killed him.
Wishing to dishonor his body, those who dragged the Saint cast it in a place reserved for the bodies of condemned criminals. After some time, twelve demon possessed men came from various parts of Constantinople, as if in unison, and together they went and took the holy relic, and buried it in a sacred place, which is known as Krisi ("Judgment"). And for having found and buried him, they were liberated from the demons which oppressed them. Saint Andrew is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on October 17th.
