www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall St George a saint or not?

I recently read somewhere, though I can't recall where, that St George has been expunged from the Roman Calendar because of lack of evidence that he ever existed. Can anyone vouch for this or demonstrate it is not true?

Thanks,

Jason

There is also concern for safety of Saint Nicholas of Myra too. Both might go the way of Saint Christopher and Theophilus (mentioned in the New Testament).

Eddie

Jason,

The Roman Martyrology contains every saints and blessed. Since Vatican II the revised Roman Calendar has been simplified to four ranks: Solemnity, Feast, Memorial, Optional Memorial. Some saints ranks were reduced while others are simply listed in the Martyrology with no comemoration on the Calendar. Given that there are something like 10,000 saints and we keep recognizing more and there are only 365 days in the year it is inevitable that some newer more popular ones will be added and others will drop out. But as for St. George, he is still an optional memorial for April 23 in the Roman Calendar.

And St. Christopher is still listed in the Martyrology on July 25.

Fr. Deacon Lance

In answer to the original question: Yes. Saint George is a saint. His feast was reduced to an optional memorial by the Roman Catholic church sometime in the late 1960s. The saint himself was not "removed" from the ranks of the saintly.

Saint George is still the patron saint of England, too.

He is one of several early martyrs about whom we know very little beyond their martyrdom.


I am fond of St. Sebastian, who is the patron of athletes and whose story is probably pretty similar to St. George based upon what little we actually think we know (i.e., that they were soldiers and martyred).

St George's cult varies depending on his patronage - his cult is greater in England and parts of Canada and Australia than elsewhere.

As I work with an organ donation group (the founder of which personally met with Pope John Paul II and had his torch blessed by him), I've suggested making St George patron of organ donation and we're working on that . . .

In the Eastern Churches, the Roman reorganization of the calendar doesn't affect us, Catholic or Orthodox, and St George enjoys his full, great cult unabated!

Georgia is a country named for him. Ethiopia's patronage is St George as is Russia's.

As the patron of agriculture in Eastern Europe, the agricultural year is initiated with moleben services on May 6th (old calendar St George's Day) and ends with the same on Nov. 16th (I believe) which is the feast of the dedication of the Church of St George in Kyiv.

And the phrase "St George for Merrie England" means "St George for Holy England" as "Merrie" is a form of the old English "Merrieg" meaning "Holy" (i.e. "Merry Christmas" and also "Merrie Hallowe'en").

Alex

Dear Alex,

Speaking of 'merrie olde England', I have been enamored of late with a series called 'The Tudors', showing in beautiful historical detail and brilliant acting, the very Catholic atmosphere and worship of the early days of King Henry VIII. This awesome series was produced in your country, Canada! Thank God for Canada and for its good television productions...(and that I *finally* have something to look forward to viewing).

Fondly,
Alice

Dear Alice,

Yes indeed - King Henry VIII himself always carried a "tenner" set of exquisitely carved prayer beads that are now on display at a royal museum somewhere over there.

There is also a hospital in London, run by nuns whose Order was given the property and original hospital building by His Grace, King Henry, the 8th of that name. When asked what he wanted in return for it, King Henry simply asked the nuns to say a daily rosary for him for as long as the hospital and their Order existed.

Each day until now, the nuns gather together at around 5:45 pm to say the rosary for the soul of King Henry VIII . . .

Believe it or not . . .

Fondly,

Alex (how is the Administrator doing these days, by the way?)

Well, it seems that His Majesty was a pretty good Catholic in the beginning, and the first Queen, Catherine of Aragon, was as devout a Catholic woman as they come. The series shows her in prayer, rosary in hand, and in the confessional, often. Ofcourse, her piety did not stop her intellect from seeing through the cunning cleric and close confidante of the King's court, Cardinal Wolsey!

May our good Lord have mercy on her Majesty, Queen Catherine's soul.

As for King Henry, I guess that becoming a heretic for lust can certainly affect one's mental health, sanity, and behaviour, and therefore, King Henry VIII can certainly use all the prayers for his soul that he can get. It is so sad, actually, as he was a fervent defender of the Pope and the faith in his early days.

Fondly,
Alice

A foreign usurper!

Restore the cult of St. Edmund, King and Martyr, to it's proper place of honour!

Dear Alex,

Your post about trying to make St. George the patron of organ donations made me cry. I donated my kidney to my baby 5 years ago-Joshua George Opalenik. Please pursue that and keep me posted. I tried to PM you but it did not work.

Holly

Through the intercession of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, I offer my prayers for Holly and little Joshua George. Lord have mercy on them and preserve them in strength and holiness. *smiley face of tearful admiration*

Thank you all for your responses. I actually quite forgot I had started this thread until I saw it just now! LOL Must be my meds!!!

Jason

St. George is also the patron saint of Boy Scouts.

I'm sorry, but whenever I hear the name "Edmund"... I think of Prince Edmund from the old BBC BlackAdder show...



Actually, I've been to Bury St. Edmunds, though. And my dad was stationed there.

Other than him and St. Edward the Confessor, last Saxon king, I believe, how many other kings of England are saints?

Interestingly enough, when the Lord was in the process of moving us to Birmingham, we thought my husband was going to be the manager of this home, the Knights of St George, home for the elderly. They called him on Holy Thursday and told him they could not hire him because of a change in the W.VA. state law. They called me on Good Friday(the next day) from the Post Office in Birmingham and asked me to transfer and begin work here as a full time mail carrier.

Funny isn't it, he still works for St. George - only as a deacon - the only Byzantine Catholic Church in Alabama.

So yeah, I think St. George was/is real

http://www.brookecountywvgenealogy.org/ksg.html
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvbrooke/stgeorge.htm

Catholic Knights of America
http://www.kykofc.com/kentucky/koc_sites/int/catholic.htm