Marina lived in the 700s in Bithynia (located in what is now northwestern Turkey). She pursued her calling from God by dressing up as a monk and and she became widely known as one of the “desert fathers.” Amazingly, she made it all the way to sainthood (before Joan of Arc), and her relics (bones after her death) were sent to places as far distant as Paris, Venice, and Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).

Nothing else is known about her other than she was “celebrated for her wonderful humility, meekness, and patience”–and goodness knows, it would take a miraculous amount of patience to navigate as a crossdresser in a world of sincerely sincere Christian men!

May Marina long be remembered and celebrated!