Families of the martyrs of St. Samuel monastery attack celebrated the 40 days anniversary of the murder of their families at the terrorist attack that targeted pilgrims near the monastery. The holy mass was celebrated at the same place of the attack under extra security measures. They demanded the paving of the road to help security forces do its job and prvent further attacks.

Abba Makarious, Bishop of Minya, led prayers of the Coptic congregation in Minya diocese for peace in Egypt and the whole world. The prayers were attended by family of the two Copts who were killed by a policeman in front of a church in Minya. The worshipers demanded justice and called for urgent trial for the policeman who killed a father and his son.

Funeral of two Copts were held today at the chuch of ST. Bishoy and St. Paula in Minya, after they were killed by a police man assigned to secure the Evangelical church. The two victims (a father and his son) had a fight with the policeman a day earlier, and he killed them yesterday. Police were reported and the matter is currently under investigation.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, delegated Bishop Raphael, former secretary of the Holy Synod, to visit Melbourne and to take care of its congregation after the resignation of its Bishop. He will celebrate a number of holy masses and meet with the people in several churches to discuss their problems and report them to the Pope.

The family of Girgis Baromi was disappointed after General security refused to release the man. Girgis haa spent more than 7 years in prison after being convicted in raping a girl though he according to the medical report has a complete sexual impotence, and another medical report confirmed before the court that the girl was not assaulted. The court sentenced Girgis to 15 years in prison and prevented his lawyer from attending the hearing of the assaulted girl!!!

The monks of the Monastery of Abba Samuel in Minya held a protest today in front of the monastery against the security policies in preventing the entry of critical material for the monastery. Cars carrying wheat were prevented by police from entering the monastery as well as families of the monks.

St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church in Long Island, New York, USA, organized an Egyptian day entitled “Be Egyptian” in order to support the home land. The annual festival aims to link the Egyptians abroad to the homeland and offered this year Egyptian products, handicrafts, games and food.

Minya Bishopric to celebrate 40-days Anniversary of Martyrs of St. Samuel Monastery on December 8, 2018. 7 people were killed and 18 were wounded in terrorist attack on buses of Christian pilgrims.

After her disappearance for couple of days ago, Melissa Samy, returned home to her family. The 27 year old girl has been working in a pharmacy before she had disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Father Matta Rizk, deputy of Manfalut diocese in Assiut, said the young man Mina Mohsen Rifaat was found dead on Wednesday after he was lost in the floods. The young man was drowned and his body was found three days after his death in the Nile River. He added that the flood water is being removed from the monastery that suffered unprecedented destruction because of the floods.

The monastery of Prince Tadros in Beni Shokier, Assiut, has suffered from destruction after the sweeping floods that destroyed the walls and drowned sheep farms and livestock and workshops. One man was lost in the floods called Mina Refaat and rescue teams are searching for him. The monastery is considered the oldest in the area and was established in the fourth century, but this is the first time it faces such destructive floods.

Pope Tawadros II said that the inauguration of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Abbasiyah will be held next Sunday. He added in his weekly sermon that the prayers will not include celebrations because of the recent terrorist attacks, and will be limited to the rituals.

Sources at Abu Makar monastery told Copts United that several people have jumped over the walls of the monastery trying to enter the monastery. just like a man did this 10 days before Bishop of the monastery was killed couple of months ago. 3 people entered the monastery yesterday by jumping over the walls, but they were allowed to leave after they apologized and assure they only wanted to take photos! Sources added that the land next to the monastery belongs to the Ministry of Antiquities and includes some Coptic antiquities, but some people are trying to use it, and the monastery has asked for permission to build a wall to protect it, but has not received any response yet.

Police in Ain Shams are investigating a fanatic man who broke into St. George Church in Manshiet Tahrir, Ein Shams, Cairo. The defendant attacked the church at 6 am holding a white weapon and attacked workers of the church, before he was arrested and handed over to police.

Abba Raphael, Bishop of central Cairo Churches, celebrates the holy mass with Eastern Orthodox Family at the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church aiming for unity among churches. The prayers were attended by Bishop Mar Mattah, the Syrian Orthodox representative, and Archbishop Ashoud, representative of the Armenian Orthodox Church, as well as representatives of Indian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox Churches.

Egypt s Prime Minister visits Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, to offer condolences after recent terrorist attack that targeted Coptic pilgrims at St. Samuel monastery. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly said that the terrorist attack aims to destroy Egypt, especially as Egypt is waging a fierce war on terrorism.

OVID french organization of Human Rights organizes the first trip of a French delegation to visit the path of the Holy Family from November 1 to 12 headed by John Maher. This comes after Pope Francis visited and blessed trip and the decision of the Egyptian government to revive the path. The delegations consists of 18 French Christians from various Christian denominations, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Athanasius of the Coptic Orthodox Church in France.

The Coptic Church is preparing to commemorate the 40 days anniversary of Metropolitan Bishoy’s departure. The services will be headed by Pope Tawadros who couldn’t attend the funeral since he was in a pastoral care visit in the United States of America. Attending the services will be limited to those who received invitations by Bishop Paula of Tanta and supervisor of Damietta diocese. It is worth mentioning that Metropolitan Bishoy was born on July 19, 1942, in Mansoura, and was ordained as bishop on September 24, 1972, and during the reign of Pope Shenouda III, he was appointed as secretary of the Holy Synod and chairman of several Committees.

Extremists in Pakistan demonstrated demanding the killing of 3 judges who acquitted a Christian woman from execution though she was charged with contempt of Islam. This came after the head of Egaz Ashrafi party issued fatwa that the president of the Supreme Court and others responsible for the abolition of the death sentence of Asia Bibi deserve to die.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is exerting great efforts to preserve its right at the monastery of the Sultan after the Israeli forces attacked its monks and seized its monastery in Jerusalem. The church filed a speedy legal action before the Israeli courts. The court issued a quick ruling limiting the size of the work of the restoration as a whole and agreed to send a copy of the official correspondence between the Dangerous Buildings Authority, the Antiquities Authority and the Israeli Religious Bureau. The Egyptian Church will follow the works represented by an authorized engineer in the State of Israel in order to make sure the work doesn t aim to change the Coptic identity of the monastery.

The Australian Coptic Movement has announced that Mahfouz Maximus was appointed its official media spokesperson. Maximus is a Coptic activist that has started his interest in the Coptic issue more than a decade ago and he is working on his PhD in clinical psychology.