Why is St. George So Important to the Chaldean People?

As I have written about before in this newsletter, Our Lady of the Fields Camp is under the direction and guidance of the Chaldean Catholic Church of the United States of America.

Not too far from the camp is the predominately Chaldean parish called St. George (Shelby Township, Michigan). The chapel at Our Lady of the Fields is called St. George Shrine. Overall, it’s not uncommon for St. George to pop up here and there in the Chaldean world.

Why is that?

From just basic general knowledge, I knew that St. George was the saint who supposedly killed a dragon, but I didn’t know much beyond that. And how did the dragon relate to the Chaldean people? I needed to do some digging.

So, it turns out that dragons are not real. If you have a subscription to HBO Max, you might not have known that. Therefore, St. George didn’t REALLY slay a dragon. It is a METAPHOR! St. George slayed (slew?) a metaphor.

All kidding aside, St. George was a high-ranking officer in the Roman army's Praetorian Guard. He was also a Christian in a time and place when being a Christian was not exactly good for one’s health. So, when George saw the Roman army severely persecuting his fellow Christians, he resigned his commission.

His refusal to participate in the torture and killing landed him in prison, where the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered him to renounce his Christian faith. Under the threat of death, George would not recant. So, Diocletian had George beheaded. The date was April 23, 303 AD. This is how St. George became a martyr for the faith.

The Chaldean people have also faced severe religious persecution in their home county of Iraq - even up through today. Many Chaldeans have died or have been forced to flee to America simply because they are Christian and refuse to renounce their faith. The courage that St. George showed under similar circumstances resonates deeply with Chaldeans and has inspired them for generations.

So, back to the metaphor: it seems the “dragon” is the Roman Empire and their persecution of Christians at the time. Even though St George was eventually killed, by refusing to renounce his Christian faith, he claimed a victory for the Lord.

And, after everything is said and done, isn’t that what we all want anyway? Victory for the Lord?

Here is a cute animated video of the Legend of St. George. Enjoy!