Although our church is named after St George, I don’t suppose many of us know very much about him. Much of his fame is legend, such as him depicted on horse-back slaying the dragon, but there is more to the man than just that.
 Because he lived around 1700 years ago, little is known of his life and is therefore  very sketchy, but we do know some facts about his short life. Surrounded by myth and legend, his reputation of gallantry and fearless courage propelled him over the centuries, to the highest echelons of Sainthood.

Alas, in 1969, the Roman Catholic Church revised its calendar of saints. For many years Saints had long been honoured with various degrees of solemnity. The Church decided to downgrade certain saints which included St George, who was placed in the Church’s lowest category, although it did nothing to harm his universal appeal.  

 St George was born in Cappadocia (today’s Turkey) about 280AD. Born of a noble family, his father Gerontius was an official in the Roman Army, and his mother, Polychronia, was from Palestine. Both were Christians. They named their son Georgius.  George lost his father when aged 14 years, and about three years later he enlisted into the Cavalry of the Roman Army aged around 17 years, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. An excellent horseman, tactician and strict disciplinarian, George quickly became a favourite of the Emperor, rising to Tribune, an officer’s rank equivalent to that today of a full Colonel. The Emperors second-in-command was a man called Galerius, conqueror of Persia, an avid supporter of Paganism.

At that time a rumour began to circulate that a plot to assassinate Galerius had been drawn up by the Christian community, and as a result the Emperor ordered the destruction of all Christian Churches, and all scriptures to be burnt. Anyone admitting to being a Christian would lose his rights as a citizen, if not his life. Because of this severe action, Diocletian achieved the reputation of being the worst persecutor of Christians at that time.  Having converted to Christianity, George feared that it would only be a matter of time before he would be arrested.  He disposed of his property to the poor, and gave his slaves their freedom.  When he finally appeared before Diocletian, George denounced the Emperors actions directed towards the Christians, and was subsequently thrown into prison, where he was to be tortured until he denied his faith in Christ. Attempts were made by Diocletian to convert George to Paganism by offering him land, gifts, money and slaves, but to no avail. For his refusal to convert, George was beheaded at Nicomedia near Lyddia in Palestine on April 23, 303AD.

Stories of his martyrdom, courage and bravery soon spread, and so the legend of St George was born.  He was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church around the year 494 AD. authorised by Pope Gelasius I, although in those days beatification usually fell upon the shoulders of local Bishops.    

St George’s reputation grew during the Crusades. A miracle appearance, when it was claimed that he appeared to lead Crusaders into battle, is recorded in stone over the south door of a church in Fordington, in Dorset.  This still exists, and is the earliest known church in England dedicated to St George. The Council (Synod) of Oxford in 1222, named April 23, St George’s Day.

When Edward III (1327-77) founded the Order of the Garter (c 1348), (the premier order of knighthood in England), he placed it under St George’s patronage.  The magnificent   St George’s Chapel in Windsor, was built by Edward IV and Henry VI, as the Chapel of the Order.

St George is one of the most revered of all our saints.  Not only is he the Patron Saint of England, but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany, the Maltese island of Gozo and Greece.  Also of Moscow, Istanbul, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Genoa and Venice (second to St Mark), among many others.  Following Henry V’s victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, St George was instituted as the patron saint of England by the King himself.

In 1940, George VI instituted the George Cross for ‘acts of greatest heroism’. Second only to the Victoria Cross, the George Cross is usually awarded to civilians.

Our Church, dedicated to St George, was named by Father Corballis, builder of our church, after the Cathedral of the same name in Southwark, where he [Fr Corballis], had been its Administrator for 12 years prior to his appointment in 1936, as Parish Priest of Our Lady of Ransom. Our mother church in Eastbourne.

 Five things you probably did not know about St George.

 William Shakespeare was born on St George’s Day 1564, and was believed to have died on St George’s Day 1616.

 St George is also the patron saint of Scouts and Archers.

 Only one in five people know St George’s feast day falls on April 23.

 20% of people living in England do not even know who their patron saint is.

 By tradition, April 23 is the day for a red rose in the button-hole.

 The opening prayer for a Mass in honour of St George - Taken from a book of Ancient Saints I read when on a visit to our Cathedral in Arundel.

 God of Hosts

 you so kindled the flame of love

 in the heart of your servant George

 that he bore witness to the risen Lord

 by his life and by his death.

 At his prayers

 Give us the same faith and power of love

 that we who rejoice in his triumph

 may come to share with him

 the fullness of the resurrection.

 We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

 David Robertson