St. George, Our Patron Saint
"For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever;" (Psalm 37:28)
St. George is the patron saint of England, so it’s not surprising that many churches in the Anglican tradition are named after him. Ironically, St. George wasn’t English, nor did he ever visit England, at least during his earthly life.
Born in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey) in the 3rd Century, St. George was one of the most famous of early martyrs whose veneration as a solder saint was widespread. Some accounts describe St. George as an officer in the Roman army. He was probably martyred in Palestine in the early 4th century during the persecution under Roman emperor Diocletian for refusing to offer sacrifice to pagan gods. Accounts of his martyrdom, and other aspects of his life, contain much legendary material that can’t be taken literally
Artistic depictions of St. George often show him as a young knight slaying a dragon. The legend of the slaying of the dragon comes from the Middle Ages, popularized in the Golden Legend, a book written around 1260. Of course, the dragon is representative of evil or the devil. These days we seem to have many “dragons” threatening all that is good and holy. By God’s grace, the shield of Faith and the sword of the Spirit will triumph.
We believe in the Communion of the Saints, living and dead, and therefore, we trust St. George prays for us as we pray for his protection. We venerate (not worship) St. George and celebrate his feast day on April 23rd.