Mary of Egypt


Mary of Egypt
18th-century Russian icon of Saint Mary of Egypt
BornProvince of Egypt
DiedTrans-Jordan desert, Palaestina I
Venerated in
CanonizedPre-congregation
Feast
  • Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic: 1 April;[1] 5th Sunday of Great Lent
  • Coptic Orthodox: Parmouti 6
  • Roman Catholic: 1 April (Ordinary Form)/ 2 April (Extraordinary Form)
AttributesCilice, skull, loaves of bread
PatronageChastity (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.

  1. ^ Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ἡ Ὁσία Μαρία ἡ Αἰγυπτία. 1 Απριλίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  2. ^ Claude Lopez-Ginisty, A Dictionary of Orthodox Intercessions (Saint John of Kronstadt Press, Liberty, Tennessee, 1994, ISBN 0-912927-80-1).