Catholic Saint
St. Mary of Egypt
“A 5th-century penitent who spent 47 years in the desert doing penance after a life of sin in Alexandria.”
Feast Day: April 1
Biography
St. Mary of Egypt lived as a prostitute in Alexandria for 17 years before experiencing a dramatic conversion while trying to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. She spent the remaining 47 years of her life as a hermit in the Jordanian desert, living on herbs and divine grace.
Prayer to St. Mary of Egypt
An invisible force held me back at the door of the church.