He was the governor of el-Borollos, el-Zaafaran, and Wadi al-Saysaban districts in the Northern delta of the Nile River in Egypt.

Demiana requested her father to build her an isolated house on the outskirts of the city where she could live with her friends, away from the world and its temptations.

[1] When Emperor Diocletian learned that it was Mark's daughter, St. Demiana, who had persuaded her father to return to worshiping Jesus Christ, he ordered one of his commanders, who was a prince, to attack her palace with one hundred soldiers.

Diocletian ordered him: "First, try to convince her to worship our idols by offering her riches and glory, but if she refuses then threaten her, torture her, and even behead her and her virgins to make her an example for the other Christians.

She told her 40 fellow virgins: "If you are willing to die for Christ's sake then you may stay, but if you cannot withstand the torments of the soldiers then hurry and escape now."

As for me, I worship my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and his good father and the Holy Spirit – the Holy Trinity – I profess him ... and in his name I will die and by him I will live forever.”[3] The prince was enraged with Demiana and ordered her to be placed in the Hinbazeen (squeezing press) until blood poured on the ground.

During the reign of Constantine the Great, his mother, Helena visited the site of St. Demiana's monastery palace, where she had a church built over the tomb.

The life story was translated from Arabic into English by the nuns of Saint Demiana's Monastery in Egypt.