{{Style}}{{cleanup}}[[Image:Saint_George_of_Ioannina_(1808-1836).jpg|right|thumb|300px250px|Saint St. George of Ioannina]] The New [[Martyr]] '''George of Ioannina''' was a young Christian who maintained his Christian beliefs while laboring for Ottoman Turks who considered him an apostate from [[Islam]], which led to his martyrdom. He is commemorated on [[January 17]].

'''Saint ==Life==George was born in 1808 in the village Tsourchli in what is now Grevena Prefecture, Greece, the son of a poor farmer Constantine and his wife Vasilo. Orphaned at a young age and without any formal education, George moved to Ioannina'''and became a servant of the Turks, employed in the Turkish army as a horse groom and stable hand under the name "Infidel (Giaour) Hasan". Modest in demeanor, George wore the traditional long foustanela of his village and an embroidered waistcoat, as now depicted on his [[icon]]s.

Saint In October 1838, George of Ioannina became entered into a martyr new phase in 1838 and his life as he is remembered became engaged and honored then married Eleni, a Christian girl from Ioannina, on the 17 January. George was born in 1808 in Tsourhli Grevenon[[feast day]] of St. At a young age he become an orphan and was forced to work as a stable hand, a servant of the TurksDemetrius. In 1838December 1837, while previously he the couple had a son whom they had been islamized, he was charged with returning to Christianity. He was jailed and because he courageously professed his belief [[baptism|baptized]] John in Christ he was hanged the Christian tradition on the 17th [[January 7]], 1838 in Ioannina. From the moment he was tortured the people honored him These events provoked his persecution as a Saint and they asked for a formal nomination from the Patriarchate on the 19th September 1839. In the end the Patriarchate asked that secretly the celebration of the Saint be on the 19th January which also honors Saint Anthony so that it didn’t look to the Islamic Turks that had considered him a new day of celebration had been set for the Martyr[[muslim]] Turk who was abandoning Islam. The main literary sources outlining the life and torture of the Saint are as follows:

· “The Life of George refused to deny his Christian faith as he was subjected to torture by the Turks, torture during which he courageously maintained, "I was never a Turk, I was always a Christian". Sentenced to the Martyr Saint George” carried out by gallows, George steadfastly defended his faith. Facing the priest-monk Laina gallows with composure and published in segments by Dimitis Salamagkas in bravery, George answered his work “The Martyr Saint George of Ioannina” Athens 1954tormentors' final question to him "What are you?". This biography is a major source because it was written before After he had asked his hands be untied so that as he made the sanctification sign of the martyrcross, he replied, "I am a Christian and I shall die a Christian, I bow before my Christ and my Lady Theotokos.” His martyrdom occurred on [[January 17]], 1838.

· In praise of Saint His body was left to hang from the gallows for three days. When taken down, his body was found not having begun decaying, which caused even many Turks to believe in his holiness and allowed George of Ioannina by the above author's body to be buried honorably.

· “Biography The people began to honor him as a saint even as he was being tortured and soon after his death asked for formal recognition of George as a [[saint]] from the Saint” compiled by the residents Ecumenical Patriarchate. George of Ioannina, signed a new martyr, was officially [[glorification|glorified]] on [[September 19]], 1839 by two bishops and thirty residents the [[Holy Synod]] of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. To make his sainthood less obvious to the Turks, the citySynod, sent to at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in April 1938 and published by Dimitri Salamagkastime, asked that it be celebrated on [[January 19]], with St. Anthony.

· “Patriarchal The first icon to the newly martyred saint was made on [[January 30]], 1838, only days after his martyrdom. It was commissioned by the [[Hieromonk]] Chrysanthos Lainos who was George's spiritual father and Synodic Memorandum”guide and depicted St. George in his traditional clothes, holding a cross in his right hand and a scroll in his left.

· “The life ==Sources==*[http://thegreekadventure.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/st-george-of the Martyr -ioannina/ St. George of Ioannina]*[http://hellas.teipir.gr/IMNPatron/eng_htm/saintgeorge.htm Saint George of Ioannina, carried out by a virtuous Ioannite to express his devoutness to ]*[https://goarch.org/chapel/saints/390 GOARCH: George the Saint.New Martyr of Ioannina] [[Category: Saints]][[Category: Martyrs]][[Category: Greek Saints]]