Mary of Egypt | |
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Born | Province of Egypt |
Died | Trans-Jordan desert, Palaestina I |
Venerated in | |
Canonized | Pre-congregation |
Feast |
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Attributes | Cilice, skull, loaves of bread |
Patronage | Chastity (warfare against the flesh; deliverance from carnal passions); demons (deliverance from); fever; skin diseases; temptations of the flesh[2] |
Mary of Egypt (Greek: Μαρία η Αιγυπτία ; Coptic: Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ Ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; Egyptian Arabic: مريم المصرية/ماريا المصريةالمصرية; Amharic/Geez: ቅድስት ማርያም ግብፃዊት) was an Egyptian grazer saint dwelling in Palestine during Late antiquity or the Early Middle Ages. She is highly venerated as a Desert Mother in the Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Churches. The Catholic Church commemorates her as a patron saint of penitents.
She is exclusively known through the hagiographical account of her life, a narrative in Greek written by Sophronius of Jerusalem in the 7th century. Her existence is uncertain and has been questioned by some historians.