The story of Saint Mary of Egypt (341 - 422) first circulated among the monastic communities of the Eastern Church within a hundred years of her death. It spread very quickly to the West, and by the end of the century she was well known throughout all Christendom. Western churches celebrate her feast on April 2nd, the Coptic Church on April 14th and the Greek churches on April 1st and on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent. The story of this fifth century Egyptian Saint has become a model of repentance for all Christians.

Our icon narrates the events of the life of Saint Mary. In the upper register of our icon: Mary had lived alone and naked in the rocky desert for forty-seven years repenting her former dissolute life when she encountered the wandering monastic elder Father Zossima (top left). Zossima, having left his monastery on the other side of the Jordan finds Mary; he gives her his cloak (top-right) and, as the story recounts, he administers the sacraments and promises to return in a year. He does so and administers the sacraments again. Another part of the story, illustrated here, tells of Zossima's next visit where he finds Mary lying dead (bottom-left) and only succeeds in burying her with the help of a lion (bottom-right).