Andrew the Scot (also known as Andrew of Tuscany and Andrew of Fiesole) was the Irish-born student and assistant of St. Donatus. He served as archdeacon of

Fiesole Fiesole () is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times. Sin ...

under Bishop Donatus.

Life

Andrew the Scot was born in Ireland near the beginning of the ninth century to a noble family. (He later became known as “the Scot”, common in that day when speaking of someone from Ireland, which the Romans had called ''Scotia''.) He was the brother of St. Brigid the younger. Both Andrew and his sister studied under St. Donatus. In 816 Andrew accompanied Donatus on his pilgrimage to Italy. When Donatus and Andrew arrived at Fiesole the people were assembled to elect a new

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

. Donatus was chosen, and after being consecrated to that office, made Andrew his archdeacon.Thurston, Herbert. "St. Andrew the Scot." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 25 December 2012 There is a miracle reported of his healing the daughter of a nobleman. The girl had been paralysed and the doctors were unable to help her so their father asked Andrew to come and pray for her. Kneeling by her couch he told her to stand for Jesus had healed her. Many other miracles were performed by him over the course of his deaconship in Fiesole: casting out demons, healing the blind, and the sick.Lives Of The Irish Saints (O'Hanlon) San martino a mensola 00

During the forty-seven years of Donatus'

episcopate A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, Andrew served him faithfully. The bishop encouraged Andrew to restore the church of San Martino di Mensola and to found a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

there. Andrew is commended for his austerity of life and boundless charity to the poor. He died a few years after Donatus around 880. His sister, seemingly miraculously, arrived from Ireland in time to assist at his deathbed. Stokes, Margaret. '' Six Months in the Apennines: Or a Pilgrimage in Search of Vestiges of the Irish Saints in Italy'', (London, 1892), p. 252

Veneration

His body is buried at St Martin's, the church he restored. When at a later date his remains were exhumed, his body was found still preserved. His relics continue to be venerated in that church. St. Andrew's feast day is on the 22 of August.

References

Sources

*
Saint of the Day, August 22: Andrew of Fiesole
at ''SaintPatrickDC.org'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Andrew The Scot 9th-century Irish bishops 9th-century Christian saints Italian Roman Catholic saints 877 deaths Medieval Irish saints on the Continent Medieval Italian saints Irish expatriates in Italy Year of birth unknown