Andrew and six other Franciscans were elected by Pope Clement V to be consecrated as bishops and sent to China. They left Italy in 1307 and arrived between 1309 and 1313 at Khanbalik (Beijing). As directed by Clement, Andrew and his companions consecrated John of Montecorvino, OFM, archbishop and patriarch of the entire Orient, and they served in China as assistant bishops. Andrew served first in Khanbalik and later moved to Zaitun (present-day Quanzhou) on southeast coast of Fukien (Fujian) Province, where built a monastery and became full bishop shortly 1322. A gravestone containing his name was found during World War II. One of his letters, written in 1226 to Franciscan guardian of Perugia, has been preserved.
Attribution
This article is reprinted from Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Macmillan Reference USA, copyright (c) 1998 Gerald H. Anderson, by permission of The Gale Group; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. All rights reserved.
Sources
- Sinica Franciscana, vol. 1, Anastasius van den Wyngaert, ed. (1929), pp. 369-377; Folker E. Reichert, Begegnungen mit China: Die Entdeckung Ostasiens im Mittelalter (1992). 77-79.
About the Author
Emeritus Professor of Missiology, Catholic University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
