The Church of St Mary, St Yoachim and St Anna in the village of Damaris in Minya, some 250km south of Cairo, has organised a blood donation campaign on the last day of the Holy Virgin’s Fast, 21 August.
The campaign was held as a celebration to commemorate two figures who passed away earlier this month, and who were beloved to the hearts of Minyans. One was the late Metropolitan of Minya and Abu-Qurqas, Anba Arsanius who died at age 90; and the other was Tassoni (Coptic for ‘Sister’) Verena, a Consecrated Virgin who was dedicated to a loving service of the poor and sick in Minya. She died at the young age of 40, after a struggle with cancer.
“We chose to honour Anba Arsanius and Tassoni Verena since they both bore illness and pain with thanksgiving, never losing their good cheer,” said Father Ghabrial Moheb, priest of St Mary, St Yoachim, and St Anna.
Fr Ghabrial said that the blood donors preferred to call the event a “celebration” not a “campaign” because they were happy to donate their blood for those whose lives might hang on it. He said that the blood would go to a village where 720 children need blood transfer but cannot afford it”.
The celebration was held under the slogan of the verse in the Book of Proverbs, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act”, (Proverbs 3: 27).
Watani International
26 August 2018