Saint George

The exact date on the date of birth for Saint George is not known and has subject to various debates all through the history. But the Roman Catholic Church, through the Catholic Encyclopedia has expressed very little doubt on his existence as there are some reasons to believe the reality of the few stories about the saint.

Requesting petitions for the following:            

• Skin problems.
• Overcoming fears.
• Feast: 23-Apr.
• Day: Tuesday.
• Candle/Emblem: Red. A Shield that has a white cross an a dragon.
• Matters concerning: To overcome jealousy, fear, and skin problems. He is considered as England’s patron saint.

There are various artists who have done various works on the saint and they include Jean Bollard, Godfrey Henschen and Danille Paperbroch during the 17th Century. Their work has been ackmnowledged as one of the first writings that shed more light on the life of the saint especially to the scholars who are interested in religious history. Pope Gelasius said the saint deserved honor before man and God. There are ancient stories showing that the saint had encountered a dragon. The modern stories depict him as saint who worked in the military.

There are chances that the saint had hailed from a respected Christian family in Lod area which is found in Syria, Palestine around 285 AD. He is said to have died in Nicomedia. He was born to a Roman Military official from Cappadocia known as Gerontius and a Palestine mother known as Polychronia. The strong Christian roots of his parents saw him grow up strong in Christian faith. When his parents died, he resolved to be soldier.

He was received in Nicomedia and given the opportunity to serve the army. In 302AD, the emperor in the area, known as Diocletian ordered all the soldiers in the army to bow for Roman gods of which he denied. As the emperor loved him a lot, he gave several chances of which he denied the gods. Then he had to face a death penalty according to the law of the land. On 23rd April 303, he was executed by decapitation in front of the city wall.

Veneration of Saint george

Emperor Constantine I really honored him that he built a church to in Lydda to honor him. He regarded George a man of the highest distinction ever.

Before conquer of the city by the Muslims, there used to exist a Basilica that was built to honor Saint George. During the war, it was destroyed but later on the crusaders rebuilt it and rededicated it to Saint George. The church was destroyed again in 1191 by the Saladin forces but was re erected for the second time in 1872.

In the 4th century, the Saint George veneration spread out from Palestine to Lebanon and various other places in the Roman Empire. The Georgians have honored the saint as well through there is a feast day in his honor which is held on 23rd November. However, the relationship is not direct as such because it is dedicated to his relative whom they claim to have brought Christianity to the region in the 4th century. By the 15th century, the cult had taken deep roots in the Roman Empire. Pope Gelasius I canonized George as saint in 494.

The West also acknowledged George as a saint who was to offer them protection. In the former modern day England, there was a community to community celebration for the saint.