Euphrosyne of Alexandria
Egyptian monk and saint
Feast: 16 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
According to her legend, Euphrosyne, only daughter of a rich man of Alexandria, had vowed her life to God. To escape marriage she dressed as a man and lived thirty-eight years in a monastery under the name Smaragdus.
Her grieving father came to the monastery and was counselled by her without recognising her; only as she lay dying did she reveal herself. Her feast is kept in the Roman Church on 16 January.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A young woman who gave up everything to live for God.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Euphrosyne
- Wikidata Q6592140 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Euphrosyne of Alexandria (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.