St. Mary of Egyptian | Saint of the Day | April 2

SAINT MARY OF EGYPTIAN
PENITENT

Mary lived in the area between Egypt and Palestine in the 5th century. According to tradition, she was a prostitute of Alexandria but joined a group of pilgrims to reach Jerusalem, where instead of plying her trade she converted, the result of a miraculous event. She spent the remainder of her life at a cave, visited once a year by a monk named Zosimus, who brought her Easter Eucharist. Her cult was particularly popular during the Middle Ages.
She is often depicted with such long hair that it covers her entire body.