Who Was St. Mary of Egypt?

In Jerusalem, Mary’s life changed forever at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. She tried to walk in with the crowd for a feast honoring the Holy Cross, but an invisible force stopped her at the door. She pushed and tried again, but it held her back each time, like God saying, “Not yet, Mary!” Her sins—those 17 wild years—were too heavy, and she couldn’t get near the Cross of Christ. Standing there, rejected and alone, she felt the weight of her sins and broke down crying, her heart cracking open.

Then she looked up and saw an icon of the Virgin Mary outside the church. Sobbing, Mary begged, “Please help me—I’ll do anything you say!” She promised to leave her old life behind if she could enter and pray. Suddenly, the barrier lifted—she walked in, shaky and amazed, and knelt before the Cross, feeling God’s love wash over her. Back at the Virgin’s icon, she asked, “What now?” A voice whispered, “Cross the Jordan for rest,” and Mary knew it was her chance to start anew. In the Coptic Church, we don’t hide this story—it’s full of messy tears and a real struggle, but so beautiful when God’s grace shines.

That day, Mary received three coins from a kind stranger, bought three loaves of bread, and set out. She wasn’t wild Mary anymore—she was Mary the Repentant, ready for the desert. The Ethiopian Church loves this moment too, singing how she turned from a sinner to a saint. It wasn’t easy, and she didn’t hide her past, but that turnaround at the church door shows kids everywhere: no matter how far you fall, Christ can lift you up if you ask.