Today, Sunday 16 July, saw the conclusion of a three-day celebration that started on 14 July at the Monastery of Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite in Sydney, Australia. The celebration marked the feast of St Shenouda and 30 years on the establishment of the Sydney monastery, concluding with Mass today.
The celebration was initiated by Holy Liturgy on Friday, presided by Anba Danial, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery.
Participating in the event we’re the two monks who were first in charge of the monastery, and who worked on developing it, Fr Pavlos Anba Bishoy, and Fr Wissa Anba Shenouda.
To accommodate the large number of visitors expected to the event, the monastery prepared a large marquee and true enough, visitors came in on Saturday from Sydney and it’s surroundings to celebrate St Shenouda as well as the two saints celebrated by the Coptic Church on the following day, St Karass and St Bishoy.
Following Mass, the congregation were invited to an ‘agape’ (literally ‘love’) breakfast, following which the monks and priests led a chanting deacon procession carrying the relics and icons of the saints around the church and monastery.
The history of the monastery goes back to 1991 when Pope Shenouda III, who was Coptic Orthodox Patriarch in 1971 – 2012, was on a pastoral visit to the Copts of Australia. In Sydney, the Pope was approached by Fr Tadros al-Bakhoumi who was serving in Sydney, with a suggestion to found a Coptic monastery there. The Pope agreed, and a 110acre- land was purchased by the Coptic Church to build the monastery. In 1993, Pope Shenouda laid the cornerstone of the monastery; building took off, and was completed in some two years.
Monastic life at the monastery began in 1995 with two blessed monks from Egypt: Fr Pavlos Anba Bishoy and Fr Bishoy al-Antoni, joined by Brother Wissa who later became Fr Wissa. The monastery has since attracted a number of Australian born and raised monks who chose the holy, sanctified way of monastic life: Fr Shenouda, Fr Theodore, Fr Anthony, Fr Moses, Fr John, Late Fr Karas, Fr Mark and Fr Paul, Brother Ignatius and Brother Behman.
In 2009, Pope Shenouda consecrated Fr Danial al-Antoni as bishop and abbot to the monastery. Fr Danial’s endeavours have had the monastery recognised by the Coptic Orthodox’s Holy Synod as a thriving monastery.
The monastery has acted as a hub for Church Camps, family day visits, and youth retreats, receiving many visitors from Australia and the world over.