Saint Verena Consultancy Group
Our Heritage
Every name carries a story. Ours begins nearly two thousand years ago — with a woman who crossed continents to heal the forgotten.
The Origin
A healer born in Egypt,
canonized in Switzerland
Saint Verena was born around 260 AD in Thebes — modern-day Luxor in Upper Egypt — into a noble Coptic Christian family. Educated by the Bishop of Beni Suef and trained as a nurse, she traveled to what is now Switzerland with the Theban Legion, a company of Christian soldiers that included her cousin, St. Maurice.
When the legion was massacred for refusing to renounce their faith, Verena did not flee home. Instead, she withdrew into a cave near Solothurn and dedicated her life to healing the sick — especially lepers, outcasts, and young women whom no one else would care for.
She is depicted in every icon and statue holding two objects: a jar of water and a comb — symbols of hygiene and healing, representing her work teaching wound care, herbal medicine, and personal health to communities where such knowledge was unknown.
Her journey through history
c. 260 AD · Thebes, Egypt
Born into faith and purpose
Raised in a devout Christian family in Upper Egypt. Educated by Bishop Sherimon, trained as a nurse, and instilled with deep compassion for the vulnerable.
c. 286 AD · The Alps, Switzerland
Alone in a foreign land — she chose to stay
After the martyrdom of the Theban Legion, Verena could have returned to Egypt. She chose seclusion in a cave near Solothurn instead, beginning her lifelong mission of care.
286 – 344 AD · Solothurn & Zurzach
Transforming communities through health
Verena cared for lepers, taught hygiene and herbal medicine, mentored young women, and converted many to faith — despite imprisonment and persecution. Her healing touch became legendary.
344 AD · Bad Zurzach, Switzerland
A legacy built over seventeen centuries
Verena died on September 1, 344 AD. Over 70 churches in Switzerland and 30 in Germany bear her name. A church stands over her grave in Bad Zurzach — a pilgrimage site venerated to this day.
"The jar and comb of Verena triumphed in the face of Tsars. Love won over the sword, and the blood of martyrs over the arrogance of kings."— Egyptian Church Literature on St. Verena
From antiquity to 2026
Why her name became our name
When Benjamin Henein founded Saint Verena Consultancy Group, he was looking for a name that carried more than identity — it needed to carry a mission. He found it in Verena of Zurzach: a woman who crossed cultural borders, practiced evidence-based care before the term existed, and operated in a fragmented world where no one was coordinating healthcare for women.
The parallels are not coincidental. Today's midlife woman is Verena's woman — overlooked by a system not designed around her, navigating fragmented care without a guide, falling through the gaps between specialists and screenings. SVCG was founded to close those gaps.
Her jar of water represents proactive clinical care. Her comb represents the dignity of being seen and coordinated. Together, they are the philosophical foundation of the P.A.C.E. model: a patient-accountable ecosystem built to ensure no woman is ever lost in the referral black hole.
The healer's jar
Proactive, evidence-based care across the 5 clinical pillars
The coordinator's comb
White-glove orchestration so no woman navigates care alone
The saint's mission
A portion of all proceeds reinvested in women's health globally
Saint Verena's feast day is September 1st. She is venerated by the Coptic Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Her relics were returned to Egypt in 1986, and the first Coptic church in her name was consecrated in Cairo in 1994. Over 100 churches across Switzerland and Germany bear her name.