Page 6 - C:\Users\Jim\AppData\Local\Temp\mso110B.tmp

England's Patron Saints

Dear Friends,

Just recently it was St George's Day.
However, St George was not the first patron saint of England. In
fact that honour belongs to St Edmund or Edmund the Martyr, King
of East Anglia in the ninth century.

St Edmund was King in 856 and, brought up a Christian, he fought
alongside King Alfred of Wessex against the Viking and Norse
invaders in 869/70, when he was captured by the Vikings. Ordered
to renounce his Christian faith, he refused. He was shot through
with arrows and beheaded. It is said his head was reunited to his
body by a talking wolf who then alerted his followers.

St Edmund's influence was great until 1199 during the time of the
third crusade, when it is said that King Richard 1 visited the tomb of
St George in Lydda in Turkey on the eve of battle. Winning a great
victory, Richard adopted St George as his personal patron and
protector of the army.

St George, who is also the patron saint of several other countries,
never visited Britain. He was only recognised as England's patron
saint once Edward 111 (1312-77) founded the Order of the Garter.
According to tradition, George was a soldier in the Roman army.
He was Greek by birth and became a member of the Praetorian
Guard for Roman Emperor Diocletian. George was sentenced to
death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He has been
venerated as a military saint since the Crusades, and the legend of
his slaying a dragon contributed to this. He is a symbol of good
triumphing over evil.

Of course the true facts about these two saints are mostly lost in
the mists of time. Christians today venerate them for their
unflinching faith and willingness to die for that faith.

Every blessing Janet Jennings

6