'MARI GIRGIS', KNOWN THE WORLD OVER AS ST, GEORGE[(17)].

In the annals of Coptic saints one of the most popular and most beloved of all is without doubt 'Mari Girgis’ known and revered by many peoples and churches all over the world as St. George.

Portrayed as a young, handsome, daring cavalier, riding his white horse and valiantly stabbing 8c killing the evil dragon, he arouses our admiration and captivates our imagination. And, in real life, St. George was true to the representation that his pictures impart.

St. George was born in the second half of the third century A. D. He belonged to one of the wealthy & noble families of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, and received a good education. Early in his life he joined the army, and in time became one of its outstanding officers.

St. George is called the first martyr under Diocletian. One day as he was riding his horse in the streets of the city of Alexandria, he saw a posted proclamation denouncing the Christian religion & its adherents. With great anger & no fear, he tore it down. Henceforth he scorned office & all worldly things, & prepared to defend the faith. So he distributed his wealth, freed his slaves and went to the court. There he spoke to the king & chiefs saying, ’How, 0 king & chiefs, do you dare make such a proclamation against the religion of the Christ, the true religion’. When asked how he dared to speak thus, he answered boldly * I am a Christian, and come to witness to the truth'. Refusing to retract this statement and to worship the king's idols, he was subjected to the severest tortures, for the space of seven years. Given strength to endure them all, he was finally beheaded, and thus received the crown of martyrdom. He was buried in Lydda, his mother’s homeland, but tradition says that his relics were brought to Egypt during the days of Abba Ghabrial, the 57th Patriarch of the Coptic Church, (about A. D. 900).

The churches that have been built in the name of St. George in all parts of Egypt are innumerable. One of the oldest of them is in a small town called "Meetdamsis" in the province of Dakhalia in the Nile Delta. Once a year thousands of Copts 8c many Moslems too visit this town to participate in the religious services & festivities held in honor of the saint; and to pay their debts of gratitude and fulfill their vows for the blessings of healing, deliverance or succor bestowed upon them through the intercession of the saint. For to this day countless are the miracles that are wrought by God Almighty to & in the lives of those who have appealed to Him through the name of St. George - so much so that one of the descriptions by which he is popularly described is that he is 'the - quick - to - respond' to whoever calls upon him in faith[(18) ].