St Mary's on the Nile, Ma'adi

The following is information from other writers which shines light on some cultural and religious aspects of life in Egypt.

1999_St Mary’s on the Nile

Coptic Egypt

The words "Copt" and Egyptian may seem to be very different, but they are derived from the same Greek word "Aigyptios", designating the original inhabitants of the country. Both Copt and Egyptian refer to a national community, not to a religious one. Therefore the Coptic Church should be defined as merely the Egyptian Church. According to tradition, St Mark the Evangelist visited Alexandria in either 58 or 62 AD. He preached the Gospel and founded the see of Alexandria. The Egyptian Church is, therefore, of Apostolic foundation and her 117 patriarchs descend in an unbroken line of succession from her founder St Mark.

The Church and Monastery of the Virgin Mary, El Adawia, Maadi, Cairo

According to various studies of Coptic Church Traditions and the vision seen by Pope Theophilus, it is supposed that the Holy Family passed through this place at the beginning of the first century AD, during their Flight from Palestine to Egypt, enroute from Babylon (Old Cairo) to Mount El Tair in Samalout, near Minia. Researchers have thought that the Holy Family made their journey through places where Jewish people had settled, staying with each family in turn so that Herod did not know exactly where they had taken refuge.

It is generally supposed that a Church has been established on the present site since the 6^th century AD, with the present building having been built during the time 1874-1927 and carefully restored in 1983.

It is understood the Holy Family passed through many towns, including Maadi (today Maadi is a southern suburb of modern Cairo), where it is believed they stayed for ten days. Oral tradition says that the Holy Family sailed for Upper Egypt, in a papyrus boat, from the exact spot on which the Church of St Mary now stands. The ancient steps which were used by the Holy Family have been preserved over the centuries and are still evident today. On the night of 6 Hatour (a Coptic month), after a long time of prayer, the Archbishop Theophilos, the 23^rd Pope, had a dream in which St Mary appeared to him and explained the exact route of the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. The journey took three and a half years.

The Floating Bible

On Friday 12 March 1976, after the morning Liturgy, the people noticed an object floating on the water, near the steps from where the Holy Family had embarked. Some members from the Church came down and found that it was a Bible, floating on the water, open at Isaiah 19:25 "Blessed be Egypt, My People …". Despite the inundation of the water and the heaviness of the Book, it was still afloat, and this was considered a miracle by the people, and a sign of Gods' Special blessing towards them.

Bibliography

The Church and Monastery of the Virgin May, Maadi, Cairo

Printed by Al Fundoon Press, Cairo

(available from the Church)