● Day of Remembrance orthodox: third Sunday of Easter, July 22
● Name means: Mar: the beleibte/the beautiful/the bitter/the beloved by God (Aramaic)
Mag: the one from Magdala (on the Sea of Galilee) (Hebrew)
● Disciple of Jesus
● Patroness: women, repentant sinners and seduced; children who learn to walk hard;
pupils and students, prisoners; glove makers, hairdressers, gardeners, winemakers, wine
merchants, against eye ailments and against thunderstorms
● Attributes: under the cross, anointing vessel, as a penitent, scourge, with musical
instruments, naked and completely hairy, with skull (as symbol for nullity/vanity)
● Born after 1 in Magdala near Tiberias, today Migdal, Israel
● Died in the 1st century in Ephesus
Mary probably has her nickname after her hometown Magdala in Israel. Mary joined Jesus as a
disciple after he had freed her from obsession – Jesus’ circle of disciples was larger than the
known twelve men and also included women, among whom Mary apparently had a special
position, because the lists of women in the New Testament are always headed by her. Mary, like
other women, provided for Jesus’ livelihood in particular. With Jesus and the disciples, Mary
also went to Jerusalem; Together with two other women, however, she did not flee like the
other disciples, but remained with the crucifixion and death of Jesus. She was involved in the
descent from the cross of Jesus and remained weeping at the tomb after the burial by Joseph of
Arimathaia.
