St. Marina was born in 230 A.D., in the city of Pyssidya, Antioch in the middle of Asia Minor. She was the only daughter of 2 pagan parents (idol worshippers).  Her father, Dacious, was the high priest of the idol temple.  Her mother died while Marina was 5 years old. While Marina was at an early age she needed a lot of attention after her mother passed away.  Her father decided to bring a teacher to look after his only daughter. The teacher was a Christian woman, who lived in a very small village next to their city. This teacher had great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Marina felt great joy and happiness while she was with her teacher, and she realized she did not wish to follow her parents’ religious lifestyle.  When Marina was fifteen years old, her father passed away.   Marina continued loving and obeying her teacher and her teacher also considered Marina's life as one of the Lord's gifts and blessings, for Marina was a beautiful righteous youth. The teacher planted the seeds of the sound and right Christian faith in the heart of young Marina in her early age. Marina entered into a new period of her life, during which she had to face severe punishment and persecutions because of her love and dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. A new governor came to the city whose name was "Wali-Farnos". This evil governor accompanied his troops looking for Christians to persecute.  He spotted Marina walking out with her companions. When he saw her beauty he decided to take her as a wife if she was a free woman, but if she was a slave, he wanted to pay to free her from her master. When the soldiers tried to arrest her, she called on the Lord Jesus Christ her heavenly bridegroom to save her. The soldiers returned to the governor and said, “We couldn't arrest this young woman because she is Christian."  The Governor started to panic after hearing this news, and he ordered his soldiers to bring Marina in chains to stand in front of him and answer his questions. When he started asking her where she came from, she said, "I am Christian and not a slave." Then the governor asked, "From which tribe do you come?" and "What is your name?" Marina replied, "I am from the tribe of Jesus Christ," and "I am Marina."  The Governor ordered Marina to be tortured and he tied her up with rope and started beating her with sticks and whips.  Then he ordered the soldiers to comb her body with an iron comb, saw her body with an iron saw, and cut her skin to little pieces with knives.  They dragged her and hanged her and burned her body with torches. Every time they tortured Marina, Archangel Michael came and healed her with the sign of the cross. Marina also overcame the devil with the sign of the cross while she was in prison. In the morning, the Governor ordered Marina to be placed in a tub of boiling water, but the Lord made the water warm, and she received the holy baptism.  At this moment the people proclaimed their belief in Jesus Christ. The governor ordered the beheading of these believers, as well as the beheading of St Marina.  St. Marina received the crown of martyrdom. Many miracles have also occurred through the prayers and intercessions of Saint Marina till this day.

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