 St. Mina was born in Egypt in the year 285, in the city of Niceous,
which lies in the vicinity of Memphis. His parents were good Christians;
his father's name was Audexio, and his mother's name was Aufimia.
His mother, who could not have children, used to pray in front of St.
Mary's icon that God may give her a child. One day, while she was
praying she heard a voice saying, "Amen." Therefore, when she finally
got a son, she named him Mina.
His father, who held an important position in the Roman Empire, died
when Mina was only fourteen years old. Later Mina joined the army, and
he was given a high rank because of his father's prominence. He was sent
to Algeria, but he resigned after three years. St. Mina headed toward
the desert to live a different kind of life, devoting his whole heart to
Christ.
For five years, he lived as a hermit. He used to see visions: angels
crowning martyrs with glamorous crowns. One day, while he was thinking
about these revelations, he heard a sound, "Blessed are you, Abba Mina,
because you have been called for the pious life from your childhood. You
shall be granted three crowns; one for your celibacy, the second for
your asceticism, and the third because you will be martyred."
St. Mina was overwhelmed by a great eagerness to live in heaven. In a
mood of valor, he went to the ruler declaring his Christian faith. He
was tortured severely, but his endless suffering attracted many pagans
not only to Christianity but also to martyrdom.
The saint's assassins tried to burn his body but they failed, for the
fire had no effect on it. Then, some believers loaded his body on a
camel and headed toward the Western Desert. At a certain spot, the camel
stopped, and they could not make it continue by any means. So they
buried him right there. (That place is where his present monastery
stands today, at the end of the lake of Marriott, not far from
Alexandria.)
Years later, it happened that while one of the shepherds was tending his
sheep in the area, a sick lamb fell to the ground. The shepherd was
astonished to see that its ailment was cured. The story spread around
quickly, and many sick people who came to that spot were healed, just by
lying on the ground.
During that time the daughter of King Xenon, who was a good Christian,
was very sick. His advisors suggested that she should try to visit that
place. When she went there, Saint Mina appeared to her in a dream, and
told her that his body was buried there. In the morning, she bathed in
the lake and was healed. Afterwards, she told her servants about the
vision.
Immediately, King Xenon ordered the saint's body to be dug out, and a
church to be built in that place. He also encouraged the rich people to
build houses and palaces in that area. Soon, a great city with the
saint's name was erected there. Sick people from all over the world used
to visit the city, and they were healed through the intercession of
Saint Mina the Miracle-Performer.
It was in that city that the clay bottles were given to the pilgrims who
came from the four corners of the earth seeking the blessing of that
great saint. Those bottles were usually filled with oil or water, and
they were carried back by the visitors to their relatives and friends
for benediction.
After the Arab conquest, destruction started to take place in the city,
and its inhabitants were degraded. During the time of Haroun-El-Rashid,
the Barbarians attacked the city, and burned a large section of it. When
El-Mamoun was ruler of Egypt, he ordered the destruction of the whole
city, and used its marble pillars to build his palace and mosques.
In the fourteenth century, some people in Marriott found a wooden box.
They brought it to the governor, who opened it, only to find some bones
wrapped in a piece of cloth. So he told his cook to throw the box in the
fire. Then, at night when the cook went to prepare the food, he saw a
column of light extending from the fire where the body of the saint was.
He also noticed that neither the bones nor the cloth were burned. Pope
Benjamin ordered the body to be transferred to the church of St. Mina in
Fom-El-Khalig.
It was only in the twentieth century that an international mission
started searching for the ruins of the ancient city. After that, when
Pope Cyril the Sixth was ordained, he put the foundation of a great
monastery, not far from the remains of the old city.
It is important to mention here that Pope Cyril and Saint Mina were very
close friends. This holy friendship proves that those who dwell in
heaven remain steadfast in their relation with those who live on earth.
The question is how can we be pure enough to win the friendship of the
saints and to enjoy their companionship?
Thus, in the blessed days of Pope Cyril the sixth, God permitted the
resurrection old monastery of Saint Mina, so that the Copts can visit
it, to be blessed by the saint. Pope Cyril also stated in his will that
he should be buried in the new monastery beside his personal friend
Saint Mina, and not in the famous Cathedral in Cairo.
May his prayers be with us all, and glory be to God forever, Amen.
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