St. Rebekah & Her Five Children’s Glorification | تمجيد القديسة رفقة و اولادها الخمسة

The Appearance of the Archangel Michael:
The story of Saint Rephka (Refka) and her five sons reveals how the Christian family longed to attain the heavenly crown. This widow’s only concern was to enjoy the divine embrace with her five children, regardless of the cost. Therefore, this family never lost their joy amid suffering; instead, their pains became a shared source of happiness and a living testimony before the crowds, allowing others to experience the faith of this blessed family.
On the other hand, as the hearts of this family were lifted to heaven, God sent His angel several times to comfort their afflicted hearts, to strengthen and rejoice them! For a holy life brings joy both to the struggling believers and to the heavenly hosts.

This blessed woman became a widow and was the mother of five sons: Agathon, Peter, John, Ammon, and Amouna. They lived in Qamoula, near Qous, close to Luxor in the province of Qena. The mother raised her sons in the fear of God, and their hearts burned with divine love.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them in a vision, announcing that they would receive the crown of martyrdom in Shubra near Alexandria, and that their bodies would later be transferred to Nakhra in Beheira province (part of modern-day Damanhour).

Preparation for Martyrdom:
After seeing the Archangel Michael, the mother and her sons were filled with joy, eagerly awaiting the crown of martyrdom for which they had long prepared.
When the impious Emperor Diocletian ordered the destruction of churches, the burning of the Holy Scriptures, and the torture of Christians to make them deny their faith, Saint Rephka gathered her children and encouraged them to remain steadfast in their faith. She reminded them of the Lord’s words: “In the world you will have tribulation,” and “Do not fear those who kill the body.” She told them that the greatest gift one could offer to God was one’s own life — given freely, without hesitation or regret, but with joy and courage.
Together, the mother and her sons stood in prayer, pleading with God to have mercy on His Church and to strengthen His people in faith.

While they were praying, the angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them they would be crowned with martyrdom for the sake of Christ. The angel comforted and encouraged them, saying:
“The Lord is with you and will strengthen you until you complete your struggle. Do not fear death nor tremble before it. Bear witness to the Lord.”
Their hearts were filled with indescribable joy.

When the time came, they rejoiced, gave away their possessions to the poor, and went to Dionysius, the governor of Qous. When the governor commanded them to burn incense to idols and deny Christ, they all cried out:
“We are Christians. We worship only the Lord of heaven and earth, who holds all people in His hands.”
The governor tried to entice them with gifts and threatened them with death, but they declared their desire to die and meet their beloved Christ face to face. They steadfastly confessed their faith, and the governor began to torture them severely, starting with their mother. She endured the suffering patiently and encouraged her sons to remain firm. All five sons were tortured, and through their endurance many spectators believed in Christ and were martyred as well.
Finally, the governor threw Saint Rephka and her sons into prison, where a great crowd of people, bishops, and priests were also confined.

Before Armenius, Governor of Alexandria:
Since Agathon, the eldest son, was the head of his town and beloved by the people, and since many had become Christians because of him, the governor was advised to send the family to Armenius, governor of Alexandria, where no one knew them.

As Armenius was in Shubra, they were sent there. He tortured them by pulling out their teeth and cast them into prison, where the Archangel Michael appeared to them again — this time to heal and strengthen them. The next morning, the guards and the crowd were astonished to see that not a single wound remained on their bodies. The people cried out, proclaiming their faith in Jesus Christ, so the governor ordered that they be slain.

Then Armenius placed the saints on iron beds and lit fires beneath them, but they remained unharmed. After three hours, God sent rain to extinguish the flames. Many witnesses confessed Christ and were also martyred.
Still unmoved, the governor ordered that their limbs be cut off and vinegar and lime be poured on their wounds. The Archangel Michael appeared again, surrounding them with light and healing their bodies.
They were chained in prison, where they heard a voice saying:
“Your struggle is nearly complete. Behold, I have prepared for you the crowns of life.”

Finally, the governor ordered that they be crucified upside down, and later thrown into barrels filled with boiling oil. But the barrels overturned and spilled onto the soldiers, who died instantly. The governor then ordered their heads to be cut off and their bodies thrown into the sea.

Care for Their Holy Bodies:
A wealthy Christian man from Nakhra in the province of Beheira saw a vision in which he was instructed to take care of their bodies. He gave the soldiers money, took the saints’ bodies, and hid them until the persecution ceased.
When the city of Nakhra was later destroyed, the believers transferred the bodies to the city of Debi, placing them in the Church of Saint Mina. They remained there until being moved to Sanbat (also called Sanabait), named after the Roman governor Sanabait.
Today, their holy relics rest in the church built in their name in the town of Sanbat, Zefta district, Gharbia Governorate.
Their martyrdom took place on the seventh day of the Coptic month of Tout (September).