Now there are lots of debates about St. George, and the myth of the dragon, which almost certainly came back to England after the Crusades.
But at this moment, we ought to remember that St. George was a Palestinian Christian. At the time, there was a great amount of persecution (something which remains to this day), and when George was a Christian soldier, an edict was issued that all Christian Soldiers should be rounded up, and half of them 'sacrificed to pagan Gods'. It was at this time that George stepped forward and proudly proclaimed his faith - a proclamation that results in his death. Before his death, he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy.
George never visited England, but he is a real example of the diversity that makes our country.
We share him, as a patron saint, with a number of other countries including Palestine, Russia, Greece and Ethiopia (which provides a good link to the youth groups sleep Ethiopian sleep over tonight).
