This is taken from Coptic reader on 14th September, 2024.
On this day (14th September), the missionary saint, the pure bride of Christ, and the teacher of cleanliness and hygiene, St. Verena, departed. This saint was born in the village of Garagous, in the Theban region, to Christian parents. They called her “Verena” which means the “good fruit” or the “dainty fruit” and raised her up according to the Christian virtues. This saint was baptized by Bishop Chaerimon, the holy bishop of Nilus, who oversaw her education and religious upbringing. She grew steadily in grace and faith.
During that time great numbers of Christians declared their faith before the Roman rulers, were martyred and received the crowns of martyrdom. St. Verena visited those imprisoned and ministered unto their needs. She also longed to receive her share of persecution and martyrdom.
During the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284- 305) the fame of the Theban Legion became well known. The Legion was headed by St. Maurice who was known for his courage and godliness. The Emperor ordered the Theban Legion led by St. Maurice to move from Thebes in Egypt (Luxor) to Gaul, in the Western region of Europe, to assist Emperor Maximian in defeating a revolt by the Bagaudea, south of France. The Legion numbered 6,600 soldiers. St. Verena joined the Theban Legion in its mission to Europe.
When the Legion arrived there, Maximian was then residing in a nearby city called Octudurum. He ordered the commander Maurice and the members of the Legion to offer sacrifices to the gods before engaging in the war. They all refused to obey the order. The Emperor ordered to slay every tenth soldier to force the rest of the Legion to obey his orders. Nevertheless, the rest of the Legion was more enthusiastic to adhere to the Christian faith. The Emperor was enraged and ordered to kill a tenth of the rest.
St. Maurice encouraged the members of the Legion to remain steadfast in their faith along with declaring their military loyalty to the Emperor. The Emperor became furious and ordered to eliminate the rest of the unit present around Agaunum, and to pursue the rest of the units of the Theban Legion in their positions in Switzerland, Italy and Germany.
St. Maurice received the crown of martyrdom along with the unit that was in Agaunum which numbered 520 soldiers.
After the martyrdom of the Legion, she went to Agaunum, and then continued on her way until she arrived near the city of Salodurum. In her great desire to save her soul, she withdrew to a cave and led an austere life, in asceticism, prayer and fasting. She supported herself with her handiwork which a nearby Christian woman sold for her. The Lord performed many miracles of healings through her prayers. St. Verena was particularly concerned about the young girls. She guided them and taught them the basics of chastity and proper hygenic practices.
As a result of the fame of her ministry and the holiness of her life, the ruler arrested and imprisoned her. The martyr, St. Maurice, appeared to console her. He encouraged her to be steadfast in her Christian faith. She was later released after the Lord healed the governor from an illness at her hands.
To escape the vainglory of the world, she fled to an island at the convergence of the rivers Aare and the Rhine. She lived in a small hut taking care of the sick and the needy. St. Verena, then, left the island because it was infested with serpents and scorpions. She went to the city of Zurzach (Tenedo) in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, where she lived in a house next to the church of the Virgin St. Mary. The priest of the parish entrusted to her the care of the poor and the sick. She cared for their cleanliness and nursing their health. Nevertheless, the devil envied her and moved her fellow servants to plot against her, but the Lord always revealed her innocence. Later on, she lived a solitary life in a cave, where she lived for eleven years, in asceticism, worship and devoutness. Many came to her to receive the blessings of her prayers and many sought her counsel.
When the time of her departure from the world drew near, the Holy Virgin St. Mary appeared to her along with some virgins in her cave. She told her about the blessings of the eternal life and the joy of the paradise. St. Verena rose and knelt before her, saying, “I am not worthy for the Mother of my Lord and God to come to her servant.” The Theotokos told her, “I have come to reward you for your faithfulness in your service to the Lord Christ.” The cave became full of incense and with this apparition, St. Verena departed to heaven.
They shrouded and buried her with great honor. A church was built after her name in the city of Zurzach and she became the patron saint of the city. A convent was also built after her name in Switzerland. Among the various icons of St. Verena, the most famous has always been the one with St. Verena holding a double comb in her left hand and a jug in her right hand. This icon of St. Verena is still the pattern of arms of the city of Stafa in the canton of Zurich, for she was the first to point out the importance of personal cleanliness in that country.
In recent years, H.H. Pope Shenouda III, the 117th pope of Alexandria, received part of the relics of St. Verena from her church in Zurzach, in Switzerland.
The blessing of her prayers be with us all and glory be to God. Amen.
St Verena visits tant Samira!
Fr kyrillos ibrahim relates: Approximatey a week before the Feast of the Holy Nativity in 2015 Tunt Samira confided in me that St. Pope Kyrillos had indicated to her that she would receive a special blessing on the Feast. She didn’t know any details beyond that. But the whole week she was filled with a simple childlike joy in anticipation.
The day before the Feast she asked if I could pick her up on the way to church on the evening of January 6 and take her with me. I indicated to her that I would be going to church early so as to prepare the altar and other arrangements before the prayers began. I suggested that it might be too long of a night for her if she came early with me given that we wouldn’t finish until after midnight. Her health was quite poor at this time. But she was too excited knowing that something special was awaiting her and she therefore insisted to come early with me.
When we arrived at church, she was a little disappointed to find that there was a young lady from our parish inside the church cleaning and arranging the chairs before the service began. The lady’s husband had come to the church early to make the Holy Bread for the Liturgy and she was helping to tidy up the church. Tunt Samira was hoping to be alone in the church for an hour or so before others started to arrive. In any case, I left her and went inside the sanctuary to prepare the altar and the vestments. A few minutes after, I heard a large gasp from the young lady that was in the church as if something bad happened requiring attention.
Startled, I quickly went outside of the sanctuary to see what was going on. The young lady informed me that she found Tunt Samira collapsing and she tried to come to her aid. As I approached them both I was overtaken by a beautiful fragrance surrounding them and I immediately knew that this was not a medical emergency but a supernatural visitation. It was was also obvious that Tunt Samira had oil on her forehead.
The young lady immediately understood the same and prostrated to the ground in prayer. At this point I took Tunt Samir aside and asked her what had happened. She explained that when she came into the church she went to stand where she normally stands and began praying. At one point she opened her eyes and saw that a young lady dressed in white was standing in front of her facing the east, therefore, Tunt Samira only saw her back. This young lady turned around and immediately Tunt Samira recognized her as St. Marina the Virgin Martyr. The saint smiled at her and pointed to another young lady next to her also dressed in white and introduced her to Tunt Samira as St. Verena. Saint Marina then placed her hand on Tunt Samira’s head blessing her and it was at this point that she felt overwhelmed physically and started to lose her balance. That is the point that I came out of the sanctuary. Obviously, Tunt Samira was overwhelmed with joy that she saw and was blessed by two great saints on the Eve of the Feast of the Nativity.
May her prayers be with us all.
The Art of Orthodoxy 