itself, together with a chapel. On being victorious in 1712
A.D. the Protestants destroyed the church, but spared the
chapel which remained until the nineteenth century. Then
the chapel was also destroyed and the bath bearing St.
Verena's name was closed. And thus it was many centuries
after she departed this earthly life that the last chapter in her
story ended. However she has not been forgotten, and in the
town of Soleure, a church named after her, still stands. It
was built after she had visited the city to meditate over the
tombs of St. Urs and St. Victor, two of the officers of the
Theban Legion martyred and buried there.
A contemporary eminent Swiss journalist, writing
about her not so long ago, related her amazing story; and
concluded by saying that through her utter consecration and
her devoted Christian service, Verena the native of Garagoz
in Upper Egypt, and the one-time nurse in the Theban
Legion, became the ‘matron’ Saint of housewives, and the
Healer of lepers in Switzerland.l1
- The story of St. Mena.
St. Mena is one of the most popular saints of the
Coptic church, and, to this day the site of the great cathedral
built in his name in Mareotis, in the desert near the city of
Alexandria, is a historical spot visited by many devotees and
tourists.^12 One of the epithets attached to his name is that of
"wonder-worker," even though the many miracles wrought
in his name occurred after he died as a martyr. His fame did
not remain confined to his homeland, however, but spread
far and wide-northward to Europe and eastward to towns in
Asia Minor. Ampulae (or earthenware flasks) have been
discovered in which pilgrims visiting his shrine had brought
back holy oil or water, in places as far removed from each
other as Cologne (Germany), and Dongola (Sudan); or