Mary of Persia

Holy Martyr Mary of Persia was one of the virgins Thecla, Martha and Mary, beheaded for Christ on 6 June 346, in the time of King Shapur II, in Persia. According to their "Martyrdom", there were five of them in all.

The virgins of the village of Kashaz had devoted themselves to God under the guidance of the priest Paul and had given him all their property. When Paul was denounced before the chief priest Narse-⁠Tamshapur, they were seized too. Paul denied the faith to recover his wealth. Tamshapur wanted to force him to persuade the virgins to bow to the sun and to marry. They called him a new Judas, received a hundred lashes each and confessed Christ still more loudly. Paul was ordered to kill them with his own hand, and love of money turned his heart to stone: he struck them down with the sword. Dying, they told him that they were going to Christ, their wealth, and that he would not gain the property he sought. The same evening Tamshapur strangled Paul in prison and took his wealth.

They are commemorated on 22 June, in the new style.