Demiana
| Saint Demiana and the 40 Virgins | |
|---|---|
| Virgin, Martyr | |
| Born | 3rd century Egypt |
| Died | Beginning of 4th century Egypt |
| Venerated in | Oriental Orthodox Christianity, Coptic Church |
| Canonized | Early 4th century |
| Major shrine | Saint Demiana's Monastery, Barrary-Belqas, Egypt |
| Feast | January 21 (Tooba 13)(Martyrdom of St. Demiana & the 40 Virgins) and May 20 (Bashans 12) (Consecration of St. Demiana’s Big Church at her monastery) |
| Attributes | Virgin carrying a palm and a cross, Virgin with 40 other virgins, Founder of monasticism for Coptic Orthodox nuns, Princess (highest ranking) of female martyrs of the Coptic Orthodox Church |
Saint Demiana and the 40 Virgins, (Coptic: Timiany), also known as the Chaste Martyr Saint Demiana, is an Egyptian martyr of the early fourth century.
Near the end of the third century, there lived a Christian named Mark. He was the governor of el-Borollos, el-Zaafaran, and Wadi al-Saysaban districts in the Northern delta of the Nile River in Egypt. Mark had an only child named Demiana, and her father loved her dearly. When Demiana was still a young child, her mother died, and her father did his utmost to raise her a virtuous Christian.
When she was 15, her father wanted her to marry one of his noble friends, however, she refused. She said she had devoted herself as a bride of Christ and intended to live in celibacy and serve the Lord. Demiana requested her father to build her an isolated house on the outskirts of the city where she could live with her friends, away from the world and its temptations.
Her father granted her wish and built her a large palace in the wilderness. Demiana changed the palace into the first Coptic Orthodox coenobitic monastery for nuns, living the monastic, ascetic life with her forty unmarried friends. Demiana was the abbess; the nuns spent their time fasting, praying, reading the holy books, and providing for themselves and the poor by means of their handiwork.
At that time, Diocletian, the pagan emperor, began to torture and kill Christians who refused to worship his idols, Apollo and Artemis. When Mark was ordered to kneel before the idols and offer incense, he refused initially; however, after some persuasion, he worshipped the idols. When news reached Demiana that her father offered incense before the idols, she reproached him severely. Her father was moved by her words and bitterly repented.
Mark traveled immediately to Antioch to see Diocletian. He made the sign of the cross in front of the emperor, soldiers, princes and all people, and declared himself a Christian. Diocletian was furious and said, “I have tried to keep our friendship but you insult me in front of all". He ordered Mark to reconsider but Mark refused. The emperor ordered Mark to be beheaded by the sword. The feast day of his martyrdom is commemorated on July 12, Abeeb 5 (Coptic calendar).
When Emperor Diocletian learned that it was Mark's daughter, St. Demiana, who had persuaded her father to return to worshiping Jesus Christ, he ordered one of his commanders, who was a prince, to attack her palace with one hundred soldiers. Diocletian ordered him: “First, try to convince her to worship our idols by offering her riches and glory, but if she refuses then threaten her, torture her, and even behead her and her virgins to make her an example for the other Christians.”
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