The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-05-07
Saint George the Martyr.


Saint George is honored i'll the Catholic Church as one Of the
llustrious martyrs of Christ. The Greeks have long distin-
guished him by the title of the Great Martyr, and kept his fes-
dval a holiday of obligation. There stood formerly in Constan-
dnople five or six churches dedicated in his honor; the Oldest of
which was always said to have been built by Constantine the
Great; who seems also to have been the founder of the Church
Of st. George which stood over his tomb in Palestine. Both
these churches were certainly built under the first Christian
enperors. In the middle of the sixth age the Emperor Justi-
tan erected a new church in honor of this Saint at Byzanes in
lesser Armenia; the Emperor Mauritius founded one in Constan-
tnople. 1t is related in the life of st. Theodorus of Siceon, that
he served God a long while in a chapel which bore the name of
St. George, had a particular devotion to this glorious martyr
and strongly recon mended the same to Mauritius when he fore
told him the Empire. One of the churches of st. George in
Constantinople called Manganese, with a monastery adjoining,
gave to the Hellespont the name of the arm of St. George. To
this day is st. George honored as principal patron or tutelar
saint by several Eastern nations, particularly the Georgans.
The Byzantine historians relate several battles to have been
gained, and other miracles wrought through his intercession.
From frequent pngrimages to his church and tomb in Palestine,
performed by those who visited the Holy Land, his veneraton
was much propagated over the West. st. Gregory, of Tours,
mentions him as highly celebrated in France in the sixth CEN
fury. St. Gregory the Great ordered an old church of st.
fond in the sacramentory of that pope, and many Others. St.
Cbtildis, wife of Clovis, the first Christian King of France,
erected affairs under his name. and the church of Chelles, built
by her, was originally dedicated in his honor.
The ancient life of Droctoveus mentions, that certain relics of
ST. George were placed IN the church OF st. Vincent, now called
St Germans. in Paris, when it was first consecrated. Fortuna
Nentz. The intercesson of this saint was implored especially
in battles, and by warriors, as appears by several instances in
great soldier. He is TO this day the tutear saint of the Repub-
lie of Genoa, and was chosen by our ancestors in the same
quality under our first Norman Kings. The great national
council, held at Oxford in 1922, commanded his feast to be kept
a holiday of the lesser rank throughout all England. Under
hi. name and ensign was instituted, by our victorious King
Europe. consisting of twenty-five knights besides the sovereign.
Its establishment is dated fifty years before the knights OF st.
Michael were instituted in France, by Louis Nj; eighty years
before the Order of the Golden Fleece. established by Philip the
Good, Duke of Burgundy; and one hundred and ninety before
tie Order of st. Andrew was set up in Scotland by James V.
The Emperor Frederick ~. instituted. in 1870, an order of
knights in honor of ct. George; and an honorable military order
in Venice bears his name. The extraordinary devotion of all
Christendom to this saint is an authentic proof how glorious his
triumph and name have always been in the church. All his
acts relate that he suffered under Dioclesian at Ncomedia.
joseph Assemani shows, from the unanimous consent of all
churches, that he was crowned on the 23rd April.
According to the accounts given by Metaphysics. he was
born in Capadoca of noble Christian parents. After the death
of his father he went with his mother into Palestine, she being
a native of that country, and having there a considerable estate,
which fell to her son George. He was strong and robust in
body. and having embraced the prog $50 u a soldier was made
a tribune or colonel in his army. By his courage and conducl
he was soon preferred to hi. her stations by the Emperor Dioce-
sian. When that prince waged war against the Christian reli-
cton. St. George laid aside the marks of his dignity, threw up
his commission and posts, and complained to the Emperor him.
self of his seventies and bloody edicts. He was Immediately
cast into prison and tried, first by promises, and afterwards put
to the question, and tortured with great cruelty but nothing
could shake his constancy. The next day he was led through
illustrious young man who tore down the edicts when they were
first fixed up at Nicomedia, as Lactantius relates in his book,
on the death Of the prosecutors, and Eusebius in his history.
The reason why st. George has been regarded the patron of mil
itary men is partly upon the score of his profession, and partly
tin army in the Holy War, before the battle Oh Antloch-
The success of this battle proving fortunate to the Chris
tians, under Geodfrey of BOuilon, made the name of st. Geogre
more famous in Europe, aud disposed n 1nlhtary TO m
pl0re more particularly his in:ercession- This devotion was
confirmed, as it is said, by an apparition of st. George to our
King Richard /. in his expedition against the Saracens; which
vision, being declared TO the troops, was to them a great encour-
agement, and they soon after defeated the enemy. st. George
is usually painted on horseback. and fitting at a dragon under
atical figure purporting that by his faith and Christian forttude
he conquered the devil, called the dragon in the Apocalypse