St. George is the patron saint of England . In times of great peril, he is called upon to help save the country from its enemies.
St. George's Emblem the flag of England
Who was the real St George and w hat did he do to become England 's patron saint?
St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.
He is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn't English at all. Very little is known about the man who became St George. He is believed to have been born in Cappadocia (now Eastern Turkey ) in the year A.D. 270. He was a Christian. At the age of seventeen he joined the Roman army and soon became renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith.
he Emperor Diocletian gave him many important missions, and it is thought that on one of these he came to England . It was while he was in England that he heard the Emperor was putting all Christians to death and so he returned to Rome to help his brother Christians. He pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. Diocletian did all he could to persuade St. George to give up his faith, but he refused and was finally beheaded on 23 April, 303.
