With the Coptic Orthodox Fast of the Holy Virgin set to begin on 7 August and last for two weeks ending with the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin on 22 August, the convent of the Holy Virgin in Assiut is getting ready to receive more than 1.5 million pilgrims.
The pilgrimage site, a large cave in Assiut’s Western Mountain, is believed to have hosted the Holy Family on its biblical flight into Egypt from the face of Herod the King (Matthew 2).
To receive, guide, and help the pilgrims, 2500 young Assiuti men and women have been have been posted on duty at the convent. They were meticulously picked from among a huge number of volunteers, and trained to guide the visitors, help make them comfortable, maintain safety and order, and act as troubleshooters.
Watani International
4 August 2019
