Life of Saint George

Saint George

There are few known facts about the life of Saint George. In 495 Pope Gelasius included him among saints "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are only known to God”.

Torture and Beheading of Saint George. Fresco in Saint George's Church, Al Khader village near Bethlehem

The usual account of his life is that his father was from Cappadocia, now part of Turkey and his mother from Palestine. His father died when he was young and he grew up at his mother’s home in Palestine. He joined the Roman army, rising in rank to become a member of the personal guard of the Emperor Diocletian. In the year 303 Diocletian tried to force Christians to give up their beliefs and to worship pagan gods. Saint George refused to obey the emperor. Diocletian had him tortured. He miraculously survived many tortures before being beheaded.

He was buried in Lydda, his home town in Palestine.