Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Crete

Andrew was born in Damascus; his Life tells that he did not speak until the age of seven. At fourteen he came to Jerusalem, joined the clergy and became a notary of the patriarch. According to Rostov’s account, he represented the patriarch at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (680–681) as an archdeacon. Later he became archbishop of Crete, in the reign of Justinian II; when Saracen ships besieged his city, the Life says, he organized the defence by prayer rather than arms.

He is best known as a hymn-writer: he composed the Great Canon, still sung in Great Lent, and many other canons. On a return voyage from Constantinople to Crete he fell ill on the island of Lesbos and died there, in the early eighth century.