St. Mary of Egypt

One of the great repentant saints, St. Mary of Egypt (c. 344–421) is shown as an emaciated woman in the desert, her body darkened by sun and exposure, covered only by her hair or a ragged garment. Her icon is a powerful image of radical repentance and transformation.

Her life story — from a life of sin in Alexandria to 47 years of solitary prayer in the Jordanian desert — is read during Great Lent as an example of the depths of repentance possible for every sinner.