Father Armiah Abdu, priest of St. Mina Church in Beni Suef, said that Copts and Muslims of Ezbet Maurice village have accepted reconciliation. The meeting was attended by senior officials of Beni Suef governorate and Muslim and Christian clergy. A regular dispute between neighbors of the village had escalated into a sectarian strife and rumors about forced displacement for the Copts spread before this reconciliation meeting was held.

Abba Estifanous, Bishop of Beba and Fashn, said that the diocese will be celebrating the first anniversary of Father Samaan Shehata s martyrdom on October 11. Shehata was killed after he had been attacked by a man on Thursday in Cairo as he was on a visit to el-Salam city, Cairo.

A Coptic minor girl called Simon Mahrous, disappeared yesterday in Beni Suef in mysterious circumstances. The 17 year old Coptic girl went to school and never returned back. Police were reported and the matter is currently under investigation.

The Coptic Bishopric in Baba announced that the fire erupted at the church of St. Mary in Fashin, Beni Suef, was a minor fire that caused minor destruction. The fire was caused by the fall of wax on the icon, which led to the burning of the icon and the back wall.

Sources in the Coptic Orthodox Church said that Monks ordained by disgraced monk Yacoub of St. Makar monastery are not recognized and cannot be called monks. The Monasteries Committee of the Holy Synod had disgraced the monk Yacoub al-Maqari and returned him to the original name of Shenouda Wahba Atallah. However, he decided to challenge the decision and even ordained 10 monks at the unrecognized monastery of St. Karas.

Beni Suef diocese holds the 12th conference of University students and graduates at St. Mary monastery in Bayad from September 3rd to 5th. A number of bishops and priests deliver sermons to the attendees at the monastery including Abba Bemen, Bishop of Naqada, and Abba Ghobrial, Bishop of Beni Suef.

Father Isaiah Dimas, priest of St. Mark in Beni Suef, said that a number of Coptic youth distribute gift for Muslim children on Adha feast. The Muslims expressed their happiness at what they considered a nice gesture of love.

His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Beni Suef headed the prayers of the Holy Mass at the monastery of St. Mary in Bayad. The prayers were attended by about 50 thousand worshippers. Extra security measures were taken to secure the celebration by police.

Abba Gabriel, Bishop of Beni Suef, and Abba Stephanos, Bishop of Baba, Al-Fashn, and Simsta, congratulated Muslims on Adha feast.

Police have taken extra security measures at the monastery of St. Mary in Bayad, Beni Suef. This came after the failure of a suicide bomber to attack the church of St. Mary in Mosotord, Cairo.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Beni Seuf issued a statement to mourn the murder of Bishop Epiphanius, head of St. Makar monastery. Statement prayed for condolences for his people and to the church and for his soul to rest in peace.

It was surprising that Qemn Arous village, the hometown of the founder of monasticism in the world, St. Anthony, has no Christians or Churches. This is true since the last three Christian families have recently left the village as they had no church to pray. However, the land of St. Anthony still carries his name though he sold it hundreds of years ago and distributed the money for the poor.

After the diocese of Beni Suef filed 66 churches and service building, the Committee to legalize churches examined 33 churches on three phases. Father Arsanious who is responsible for the process said that no churches have been legalized yet as the committee demands extra documents to complete the files.

Father Ermia Abdu, priest of St. Simon church in Mitry village offered his sincere thanks to his Muslim neighbors for donating one ton of cement to restore the church. He added that their love is very appreciated by the Christians and this cement is more precious to them than gold.

Abba Estifanos, bishop of Beba, Al-Fashn and Samasta, said that the diocese has submitted 50 applications for the committee for the Regulation of churches. He added that the committee should visit the churches soon to decide whether they should be regulated or not. It is worth mentioning that several villages in the diocese don’t have churches which raise problems every now and then about building unlicensed churches including the most recent sectarian attacks at Manin village.

Father Stephenos Soliman, Secretary of Bishop of Beni Suef, said that the diocese has distributed free food on 150 Muslim families on the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The food was distributed with the help of the mosque in the neighborhood.

Ibrahim Sadic, Coptic man from Beni Suef, reported police that 2.5 of his land were set on fire. This came after the Coptic Christian man was accused of turning his home into a church.

Abba Ghobrial, bishop of Beni Suef, ordained an new priest at the church of Dalas village. The new priest was called father Bigol and is currently spending 40 days of spiritual retreat at the monastery of St. Mary in Assiut.

Tarshoub village in Beni Suef witnessed new sectarian attacks by fanatics against the Copts. The attacks came after the Copts refused to allow the Muslim young men swim in the canal in front of their houses nude. The Muslims gathered and stoned houses of the Copts. Later, police arrested 7 Copts and 2 Muslims.

A number of Copts and Muslims of Menin village of Beni Suef held a joint banquet in Ramadan. The banquet was attended by clergy and families of the village. This comes after the village had witnessed sectarian clashes followed by reconciliation between the two parties.

Father Ermia Abdu, leader of the Angel association in Beni Suef, said that another Coptic minor girl has disappeared in Bnei Suef two days ago. He added that the girl is called Mrina Samir, 15 years old. Moreover, police were reported and the matter is currently under investigation.