Did Saint Mary die on the 21st of Tobe, or was her body taken up to heaven that day?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, there is a clear distinction between the day of her departure (death) and the day of her assumption into heaven.

According to the Synaxarium, St. Mary died on the 21st of Tobe (January/February). On this day, she departed from this world, and the Apostles buried her pure body in a tomb at Gethsemane. It was on this day that her soul was received by her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Her body was not taken up to heaven on the 21st of Tobe. Instead, the assumption of her body occurred later, and the Church celebrates this miracle on the 16th of Mesra (August).

To summarize the timeline according to Church tradition:

• 21st of Tobe: The departure (death) of St. Mary. Her soul left her body, and she was buried by the Apostles.
• Interim Period: While the body was in the tomb, it was taken by angels to heaven. St. Thomas witnessed this while he was traveling on a cloud.
• 16th of Mesra: The Feast of the Assumption. This is when the Church commemorates the fact that her body was taken up to heaven, as witnessed by St. Thomas and later confirmed to the rest of the Apostles when they found her tomb empty.

The Coptic Church honors her departure every month on the 21st day of the Coptic month, but the specific feast of the Assumption of her Body is strictly celebrated on the 16th of Mesra after a 15-day fast.