Theodora of Alexandria
Saint Theodora of Alexandria | |
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Desert Mother | |
Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church Episcopal Church |
Feast | 11 Parmouti (Coptic Christianity) 11 September 5 January (Episcopal Church) |
Theodora of Alexandria was a saint and Desert Mother who was married to a prefect of Egypt. In order to perform penance for adultery, she disguised herself as a man, and pretending to be a eunuch and joined a monastery in Thebaid. Her true identity as a woman was discovered only after her death.
A rare image of Theodora in Western art is a print by Bernardino Capitelli, made in 1627 for Theodora Costa dal Pozzo, showing St Theodora of Alexandria disguised as a monk and caring for the child that she was accused of fathering (Vienna: Graphische Sammlung Albertina).
Theodora is honored with a Lesser Feast (with Sarah, and Syncletica) on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America on January 5.
- Eastern Orthodox saints
- Late Ancient Christian female saints
- 5th-century Christian saints
- 5th-century Byzantine people
- Byzantine female saints
- Female-to-male cross-dressers
- Ancient Alexandrians
- Saints from Roman Egypt
- Byzantine saints
- 5th-century Byzantine women
- 5th-century Egyptian people
- 5th-century Egyptian women
- Anglican saints