Famous Women in the Holy Bible
Mother Dolagy
She is one of the holy female martyrs, or rather the first of the martyrs of Esna, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the fourth century, at the hands of Arianus, the governor of Ansena.
She set a very high example of motherhood, for she loved her children with a pure spiritual love. She loved their death and departure from the world, and she loved their suffering for the sake of the name of Christ…
She is the only mother whose four sons were slaughtered by the governor upon her knees while she encouraged them to remain steadfast in the faith…
Governor Arianus came to Esna to see the extent to which the emperor’s orders concerning the killing of Christians were being carried out.
He saw the sons of this mother at the entrance of the city driving an animal loaded with watermelons. He ordered them to go with him and worship the idols. But they courageously refused, declaring that they were Christians. He tried threatening them at one time and enticing them at another, but they continued to refuse.
The news spread throughout the city, and their mother heard of it, so she hurried to them. Before the governor, she encouraged them to remain steadfast in the faith. The governor became annoyed and ordered that they all be imprisoned.
Our Lady the Virgin appeared to them in prison and encouraged them.
In the morning, the governor summoned them and repeated his attempts once more. Mother Dolagy kept crying out, “We are Christians,” and her sons repeated with her the confession of faith.
The governor ordered that all her sons be slaughtered upon her knees, and she accepted…
And while they were being slaughtered, she encouraged them, prayed, and chanted hymns…
After slaughtering them, the governor also cut off her head, and she was united with her martyr sons in Paradise.
A church bearing her name still exists in Esna.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in El-Keraza Magazine – Year Eight (Issue Twenty-Eight) 15-7-1977
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