St Macrina the Younger was a remarkable woman who lived in the late 4th century in Cappadoccia, a part of Asia Minor now known as Turkey. She was the oldest child in a large and wealthy family, and three of her siblings are also saints, including the rather more well known Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa. She was regarded by them as their teacher.

At the age of twelve, she creatively reframed the cultural expectations thrust upon her: While still a child, she was betrothed to be married, but when the young man died, she convinced her parents that she should remain unwed for the rest of her life. (This is a move seen by many historians as allowing her to cleverly escape the convention of arranged marriage.) In adulthood, she converted her considerable estate into a kind of egalitarian community, liberating her slaves and welcoming both wealthy and poor women to live in a community with her. In this regard she was a true pioneer, and her example influenced her brother Basil, one of the most influential figures in the early church. Her life and deeds are touchingly recorded in her younger brother Gregory’s account, The Life of Macrina.

As a teacher to the Church Fathers, as a holy maverick and pioneer of independent religious life, as a loving sister and daughter, as a saint who nurtured others to sanctity, as a clear-minded practical worker for the poor and sick, as a woman whose power, intellectual ability, and sacred calling has sometimes been challenged or even denied altogether, and as a woman unafraid to preach, govern, and act publicly as a model for others, St. Macrina is a fitting patron saint for our community in Marin County.

(With permission and blessings from the Orthodox Mission of Saints Ephrem and Macrina.)

LINKS
St Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church
Wisdom Christianity
The Life of Macrina
The Bishop's Ranch