12/25 February

They lived at the beginning of the sixth century in Bithynia (the north-west region of Asia Minor). Having become a widower, Venerable Eugene decided to retire to a monastery; but his daughter did not want to part with him, and she accompanied him, dressed as a man. Together, they entered a monastery not far from Alexandria, where the Venerable one received the name Marinus.

"Brother" Marinus was highly successful in practicing the virtues, distinguishing "himself" by humility and obedience. When, after a few years, Saint Mary's father died, she intensified her struggles still more and received from the Lord the gift of healing those possessed by unclean spirits.

Once, "monk" Marinus was sent among other brethren to the monastery kitchen-gardens, on the way to which they had to spend the night in an inn. The daughter of the proprietor of this inn, who had sinned with one of the lodgers, calumniated the "monk" Marinus, naming "him" the perpetrator of her fall. Her father complained to the hegoumen of the monastery, and the latter expelled the "brother who had sinned." The Venerable one did not say a word in her justification and began to live by the monastery walls. When a boy was born to the maiden who had sinned, the proprietor of the inn brought him to Marinus, and in silence left his grandson and withdrew. The Saint accepted the boy and began to raise him.

After a lapse of three years, the brethren entreated the hegoumen to receive "monk Marinus" again into the monastery. The hegoumen, who very reluctantly acceded to the requests, began to assign to "Brother Marinus" the hardest obediences, which the Venerable one fulfilled with the greatest diligence, while continuing to raise her supposed son.

In three years, the Saint peacefully departed to the Lord in her cell. Upon coming in, the brethren saw the dead "monk" and the boy, wailing over "him." When they began to attire the Venerable one for burial, her secret was uncovered. With tears, the hegoumen of the monastery begged forgiveness of the deceased, and the proprietor of the inn followed his example. Venerable Mary's body was buried with honor in the monastery. The daughter of the innkeeper came to the Saint's grave and openly confessed her sin, whereby she was healed at once from the malady of demonic possession. The youth, whom the Venerable one had raised, subsequently received the monastic rank.

The relics of the Saint were translated to Constantinople, and thence in 1113 to Venice.