St. George (280-303 AD)

Saint George is known for famously slaying a dragon from horseback . . .
 

Feast Day: April 23
Canonized: Pre-Congregation

Saint George is best known as the saint-warrior famously depicted slaying a dragon from horseback. This image can be seen in iconography around the world — and even as a huge statue outside the United Nations headquarters. Little is known about him for certain, but his life’s story captures the heroic spirit of this martyr.

George was born in the late third century. Both of his parents died when he was in his teens, and George decided to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Roman soldier. As a gifted solider, he quickly rose through the ranks. But he traded his promising career for martyrdom when Emperor Diocletian pronounced that every soldier who did not offer sacrifice to the pagan gods should be arrested.

George signed his own death warrant by publicly standing up to the emperor, denouncing his edict and declaring his allegiance aloud to Jesus Christ. George stood his ground, despite horrific torture and personal appeals from the emperor. He was beheaded in 303 AD on what is today his feast day.

Due to the amount of fantastic legend that has been interwoven with George’s life and death, it is difficult to ascertain some details of his life. But there is no doubt that a hero of the Church named George gave up his life for Christ, that not long afterwards Christianity was permitted by the Emperor Constantine, and that it soon became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

The image of a man slaying a dragon not only captures the message of George’s life, but that of the countless martyrs of ancient Rome. They stood up to the rulers of the most powerful empire in history and, without the force of arms, transformed that empire from a culture of death into Christendom in less than 300 years.

This column is produced for Legatus by the Dead Theologians Society, a Catholic apostolate for high school-age teens and college-age young adults. On the web: deadtheologianssociety.com.