Saint George

Saint George
Saint George by Donatello, c. 1415
Martyr, Patron of England
Born	3rd Century Cappadocia, Roman Empire
Died	23 April 303 Lydda, Syria Palaestina, Roman Empire[1][2]
Venerated in	Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church Oriental Orthodoxy Church of the East Anglican Communion Lutheranism Umbanda Druze faith[3] Islam
Major shrine	Church of Saint George, Lalibela Church of Saint George and Mosque of Al-Khadr St. George Cathedral, Timișoara St. George's Monastery, Al-Khader Cathedral of Saint George St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Edappally St. George Orthodox Church Puthuppally Pally St. George's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Aruvithura St. George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa St. George Forane Church, Edathua St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Feast	23 April (Saint George's Day) 6 May (Gregorian when Julian date is observed) 23 Parmouti (Coptic calendar, 1 May)[4] Saturday before third Sunday of Exaltation of the Cross (Armenian Church calendar)[5]
Attributes	Clothed as a crusader in plate armour or mail, often bearing a lance tipped by a cross, riding a white horse, often slaying a dragon. In the Greek East and Latin West he is shown with St George's Cross emblazoned on his armour, or shield or banner.
Patronage	Many patronages of Saint George exist around the world

Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος, translit. Geṓrgios;^{[note 1]} died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints, heroes and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades. He is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims as a martyr of monotheistic faith.

In hagiography, as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military saints, he is immortalized in the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. His feast day, Saint George's Day, is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. Historically, the countries of England, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, as well as Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, and Moscow in Russia, have claimed George as their patron saint, as have several other regions, cities, universities, professions, and organizations. The Church of Saint George in Lod (Lydda), Israel, contains a sarcophagus traditionally believed to contain St. George's remains.^[6]

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