Wymondham Celebrates St. George
Details of celebrations with pictures of 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 & 2001
The George Guestbook is now open. Anyone with George in their name (male or female) can post a message on the George Guestbook on this website.
Who was St George?
St George was a Christian subject of Imperial Rome and suffered martyrdom during the persecution under Emperor Dioclectian in 303 AD. The martyrdom was commemorated with widespread honour within a comparatively short time after his death, and his bravery in the face of torture obviously left a deep impression, and would be long remembered, especially in Lydda, where his death is said to have taken place.
There was a shrine of St George which pilgrims to the Holy Land visited, but it was the Crusaders in the 12th Century who did more than anyone else to spread St George's fame in Europe. It was they who brought home the story of his miraculous appearance on the walls of Antioch in 1098, and also in Jerusalem. This so stirred the Crusaders that George came to be regarded as the special patron of fighting men. Churches in England soon came to be dedicated to him, and his feast day April 23rd was established in 1222.
St George was proclaimed Patron Saint of England in the fifteenth century, as an enduring symbol of high courage and selfless devotion to the weak and endangered and he quickly became identified with all that was noble and heroic about the English character.
The 'slaying of the dragon' story is a bizarre extension of the myth and was a latecomer to the existing tradition. St George's cult declined after the Reformation, but the sentiment still remains. His banner, the red cross on a white field, is still internationally famous through the 'Red Cross' and is the flag of England and the English Church.
Seldom has a saint gone through such a transformation, but the Power of the conquering Christ over suffering and death is the enduring reality which will ensure that his name is honoured for as long as there is a Christian Church.
With acknowledgments to the late Fr David Hunter, former Chaplain of Wymondham Abbey, for permission to use this piece from the Wymondham Abbey Parish Magazine.
National Recognition
Wymondham's efforts to raise awareness of England's patron saint have received national recognition.
The organisers have been congratulated on the initiative by the Royal Society of St George. Ivor Wilson from the Folkestone-based charity said: "We were thrilled to hear what Wymondham had done to mark St George's Day."
Details of the town's activities will now be published in the society's national journal.
Details of celebrations with pictures of 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 & 2001
Details of celebrations with pictures of 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 & 2001
The George Guestbook is now open. Anyone with George in their name (male or female) can post a message on the George Guestbook on this website.
| Sign the George guestbook |
 |
View the George guestbook |
Who was St George?
St George was a Christian subject of Imperial Rome and suffered martyrdom during the persecution under Emperor Dioclectian in 303 AD. The martyrdom was commemorated with widespread honour within a comparatively short time after his death, and his bravery in the face of torture obviously left a deep impression, and would be long remembered, especially in Lydda, where his death is said to have taken place.
There was a shrine of St George which pilgrims to the Holy Land visited, but it was the Crusaders in the 12th Century who did more than anyone else to spread St George's fame in Europe. It was they who brought home the story of his miraculous appearance on the walls of Antioch in 1098, and also in Jerusalem. This so stirred the Crusaders that George came to be regarded as the special patron of fighting men. Churches in England soon came to be dedicated to him, and his feast day April 23rd was established in 1222.
St George was proclaimed Patron Saint of England in the fifteenth century, as an enduring symbol of high courage and selfless devotion to the weak and endangered and he quickly became identified with all that was noble and heroic about the English character.
The 'slaying of the dragon' story is a bizarre extension of the myth and was a latecomer to the existing tradition. St George's cult declined after the Reformation, but the sentiment still remains. His banner, the red cross on a white field, is still internationally famous through the 'Red Cross' and is the flag of England and the English Church.
Seldom has a saint gone through such a transformation, but the Power of the conquering Christ over suffering and death is the enduring reality which will ensure that his name is honoured for as long as there is a Christian Church.
With acknowledgments to the late Fr David Hunter, former Chaplain of Wymondham Abbey, for permission to use this piece from the Wymondham Abbey Parish Magazine.
National Recognition
Wymondham's efforts to raise awareness of England's patron saint have received national recognition.
The organisers have been congratulated on the initiative by the Royal Society of St George. Ivor Wilson from the Folkestone-based charity said: "We were thrilled to hear what Wymondham had done to mark St George's Day."
Details of the town's activities will now be published in the society's national journal.
Details of celebrations with pictures of 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 & 2001