GREAT MARTYR GEORGE
O Great and Holy among the Saints of God, Glorious Martyr GEORGE,
defender of the poor, deliver of captives, physician to the sick and
Protector of Kings: intercede with Christ our God to have mercy on our souls.
St George of Lydda, son of a Greek father and Palestinian Mother, was a soldier in the Roman army martyred during a pre-Constantinian persecution.
There are slight variations in the Greek and Latin versions of St George’s life. After his father was martyred for the faith, St George went with his mother to Lydda in Palestine where she soon died. Soon after St George went to Nicomedia where he joined the Roman army and was persecuted by Dioocletian The Latin tradition is he was persecuted by Dacian Emperor of Persia. The Latin tradition ascribes more than twenty separate tortures St George endured over 20 years.
Regardless he was decapitated on April 23, 303AD. His body was returned to Palestine where today he is buried in the Orthodox church that bears his name. The church also contains St George’ chains which the faithful place around their necks as a blessing of this beloved saint.
The famed St George and the Dragon “Golden” tradition first appeared in the 11th century. The city of Silene in Libya was plagued by a dragon. Daily two sheep were sacrificed to placate the dragon. When that was not enough, human sacrifices were made from among the city residents. The king’s daughter was selected to be sacrificed buy St George saved her by slaying the dragon. As a reward the King gave him treasures which St George refused and gave them to the poor.
St George is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and is venerated in the Eastern churches (both Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox), Western (Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran) as well some non-Christian groups. These include the Umbanda (Brazilian religion), Druze and some Muslim traditions.
St George is a popular name among Christian Arab Christians, English, Georgians, Greeks, Spanish and Swedes.
St George is popular as a warrior saint. He is the Patron Saint of England, the Romanov family, Moscow, Malta, Georgia, Ethiopia, Portugal, Aragon in Spain and many other localized parts of the world.
St George’s Patronage: Canada, England, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Moscow, Palestine, Portugal and Venice. Patron of the Boy Scouts, agricultural workers, cavalry, chivalry horsemen, saddle makers, skin diseases and rashes.
FEAST DAY: APRIL 23 (GREGORIAN CALENDAR)/MAY 6 (JULIAN CALENDAR). In the Orthodox Church if the day falls near or during Holy Week the feast is transferred to the Monday following Easter.
Icon Measures 10 1/4 inch x 7 3/4 inch
Including Wooden Parts 8 3/4 inch wide
Including Hanger Part from top to bottom 14 inch tall