July 23, 2024 - Epep 16, 1740

Recovery of the Holy Relics of St. George, the Great Martyr

On this day also, was the arrival of the holy relics of St. George, the great martyr, to his church in Old Cairo. A monk called Fr. Marcus, who was the hegumen and Abbot of El-Qualamoun monastery, used to visit the villages and the cities every year to visit the Christians. One night, while he was visiting someone in one of the villages he used to visit, he saw St. George (Gawargios) in a vision, who told him, Take my body from the woman that will be coming to you tomorrow, and place it in my church that is in Old Cairo. On the next day, a woman came to him and told him that she had a box that her father had brought before his death from the church of St. George in Palestine. This fulfilled the vision, and he went with her and examined the box. Then, he went to Pope Gabrial, 88th Pope, and told him about the vision and the box. Immediately the Pope rose up and took with him the priests and the deacons, and went to where the box was. After they took the blessings of the holy relics and gave some money to the woman, they carried the box in a venerable celebration. They brought it to the church of St. George in Old Cairo where many signs were manifested from it. May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.