A beautiful woman of wealthy birth, Anna was far more beautiful of spirit and wished only to store up treasure in heaven. After the death of her parents, she used all of her worldly riches to serve the poor – a selfless act which made her even more radiant. The result was the untiring pursuit of her hand in marriage by a muslim dignitary that exposed her to harsh and ill treatment including pressure from her own Emperor to accept the proposal. Instead, she fled to the monastery to consecrate her virginity to Christ. Having finally achieved her aim, she devoted herself to the extreme ascesis of week long fasts, whole days in prayer, and night long vigils. By these means her passions were obliterated, but her body became so weak that she succumbed to a small illness. Some years later, a group of possessed people were guided to her tomb by the Lord. When they opened it, they found her body incorrupt, and they were struck with a heavenly fragrance that delivered them from their torment. The grace that came from her union with the Lord, flowed freely over all who came to venerate her relics and delivering them from blindness, paralysis, disease and possession.