George of Zarzma

Venerable George of Zarzma (ninth century) was the second abbot of the Zarzma Monastery, in Samtskhe (southern Georgia), appointed to this service by the founder of the monastery, Venerable Serapion of Zarzma. He is venerated as a saint in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers and Mothers of Klarjeti of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, canonized in October 2002 (by other data in 2003); he is commemorated on 5 October (old calendar).

News of him is in the Life of Venerable Serapion (tenth century). The author tells how Serapion called him and said: "Beloved son George, the lot has fallen on you to shepherd after me." George was a priest "adorned with virtues, sweet in words and deeds," and the brothers rejoiced, seeing in him a man in everything like Serapion. Before his death he entrusted the abbacy to a certain Michael, commanding him to take care of building the monastery church and not to worry about the cost, because Saint Serapion had appeared to him in a dream and had shown him the place in the church where the rich offering of one of his disciples was hidden.