St. Minas
| Saint Mina | |
|---|---|
Jesus and Minas, 6th-century icon from Bawit in Middle Egypt, currently at Louvre; One of the oldest known icons in existence
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| Martyr & Wonder-worker | |
| Born | 285 Niceous, Egypt |
| Died | c. 309 Phrygia, Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) |
| Venerated in |
Oriental Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Major shrine |
Monastery of Saint Mina Church of Saint Menas (Cairo) |
| Feast |
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| Attributes | man with his hands cut off and his eyes torn out; man with two camels; young knight with a halberd, an depiction of his time in the Roman army |
| Patronage | falsely accused people; peddlers; traveling merchants; Heraklion |
Saint Minas (also Mina, Menas, Mena, Menes, Mennas; Coptic: Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ) (285 – c. 309), the Martyr and Wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Egyptian saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession and prayers. Minas was an Egyptian soldier in the Roman army martyred because he refused to recant his Christian faith. The common date of his commemoration is November 11, which occurs 13 days later (November 24) on the Julian calendar.
His feast day is celebrated every year on 15 Hathor in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, which corresponds to November 24 on the Gregorian Calendar. In Eastern Orthodox Churches that follow the old style or Julian calendar, it is likewise celebrated on November 24. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches that follow the new style or Revised Julian calendar, as well as in the Catholic Church, it is celebrated on November 11.
Although Minas is recognized as a minor saint in Western churches, it is considered likely by many historians that he is celebrated in these churches under the name of Saint Christopher (i.e. the "Christ-bearer"), as one of the legends associated with Mina has him, like Christopher, carrying the Christ Child.
Mina was his original name, according to the story his mother called him "Mēna" because she heard a voice saying amēn. Minas [Μηνας] is how he is known in Greek, while in Armenian and Arabic he is known as "Mīna" [مينا].
There are many sources written in different languages (Koine Greek, Coptic, Old Nubian, Ge'ez, Latin, Syriac, Armenian) relating to Menas.
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Wikipedia