Saint Athanasius
Coptic Orthodox Church
St. Maurice was brought up in the Theba legion of Luxor and became a soldier in the Roman army. He was gradually promoted until he became the leader of the Theban legion, in charge of 6600 soldiers. Upon Emperor Maximianos' order, St. Maurice's legion was sent , to resist the tribes' attacks on the western borders of the Roman Empire. The legion settled down all along the western borders from Germany to Italy (near Lausanne, Switzerland). The Roman emperor and his soldiers used to worship and offer sacrifices to the idols before the battle. St. Maurice and his soldiers were asked to share in this action, but they refused and declared their faith in Jesus Christ. St. Maurice also sent a letter to the Emperor in the name of all the members of the legion declaring their faith in Christ. The Emperor was disappointed by this letter and gave orders to torture one tenth of the members of the legion--in order to terrify the rest. However, the soldiers used to accept torture declaring in public their faith in Christ. The Emperor then ordered the killing of all of them. All members of the legion, headed by St. Maurice, were martyred on the 25th of Toot. On 22nd February 1994, H.H. Pope Shenouda III consecrated St. Maurice and St. Verena's Church in the Building of the Bishopric of Public Services - Anba Roweiss, Cairo.
May his prayers be with us Amen.
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