Windows of St Bede’s – St George
Harold E . and Adelaide Purches. Given by their son,
John – St George’s, 1964.
Saint George was a soldier of the Roman Empire who later became a Christian martyr. Immortalized in the tale of George and the dragon, he is the patron saint of several countries and cities’ including England , Montenegro , Georgia , Barcelona and Moscow , as well as a wide range of professions, organisations and disease sufferers.
Saint George’s Life
Saint George was born to a Christian family during the late 3rd Century. His father was from Cappadocia and served as a officer in the army. His mother was from Lydda, Palestine . She returned to her native city as a widow along with her young son, where she provided him with some education.
The youth followed his father’s example by joining the army soon after coming of age. He proved to be a good soldier and consequently rose through the military ranks of the time. By his late twenties he had gained the title of Tribunes and then comes count, at which time George was stationed in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard attached to the Roman Emperor Diocletian. (Reign 284-305)
In 303, Diocletian issued an edict authorising the systematic persecution of the Christians across the Empire. His Caesar, Galerius was supposedly responsible for this decision and would continue the persecution during his own reign (305-311). George was ordered to take part in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticised the imperial decision. An enraged Diocletian ordered the torture of this apparent traitor and his execution.
After various Tortures, George was executed by (Decapitation) before Nicomedia ‘s Defence walls on April 23 rd .303. The witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become a Christian as well, and so they joined George in martyrdom, His body was returned to Lydda for Burial, where Christians soon came to honour him as a Martyr