The feast is exclusive to Egypt. Of all the countries in the world, it was Egypt that was chosen by the Lord to flee into when, as a baby, His life was threatened by Herod the King. The Gospel of Matthew recounts in its second chapter that Herod sought to destroy the Child that was born King of Israel. But the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and commanded him to take the young Child and his mother and flee into Egypt where they should stay until they again hear from the Lord. So it was that the Holy Family—the Child Jesus, His Mother Mary, and St Joseph—came to Egypt and remained there for some three years. Tradition has it that they entered Egypt on donkey at its northeastern border, travelled west through the Delta, then southeast to what is today Cairo where they boarded a boat and sailed the Nile southwards till they settled at present-day Assiut some 375km south of Cairo. Every spot they rested or stayed at has always been a source of blessing to Egyptians, who proudly cherish countless stories of memories and miracles performed there. Today, churches have been built on these sites that dot over 3,500km, including 31 sites, eight caves or grottos, 18 water springs or wells, and 13 trees; they constitute what has famously become known as the Holy Family Trail in Egypt. Each site is today a pilgrimage destination for the faithful.
The Coptic Church marks the Feast of the Entry of the Holy Family into Egypt on 1 June, 24 Pashons on the Coptic calendar. Joyful Vespers incense services are held on the eve of the feast, and Mass is celebrated on the feast day. At churches built on spots trodden by the Holy Family, special celebrations and fairs are held; thousands of the congregation flock there for pilgrimage.
This year, the celebrations started with Vespers at the church of the Holy Virgin in Haret Zuweila, Cairo, on the evening of 28 May. Anba Raphael, Bishop-General of Cairo Downtown Churches, presided over the service which was followed by talks by experts on the history of the Coptic Church, history of the church at Haret Zuweila, and the latest update on developing the Holy Family Trail project. Attending the celebration was a large number of clergy, politicians, public figures, and senior figures in the field of tourism, heritage, and antiquities. Discoveries found in the Haret Zuweila church during its most recent renovation in 2016 were revealed; they had been kept in what was termed the “Box of Secrets”, and mainly constituted relics of saints and Coptic patriarchs.
Pope Tawadros will preside over Vespers incense service on 31 May, the eve of the feast, at the Holy Family site of the church of Abu-Serga in Old Cairo, which includes a cavern in which the Holy Family had resided for some three months, and a well of the waters of which they drank.
On the feast day, 1 June, Pope Tawadros will celebrate Mass at the church of the Holy Virgin on the Nile bank at Maadi—the site where the Holy Family is believed to have boarded a boat and sailed the Nile south to Assiut.
Apart from the religious celebrations, Zagazig University will mark the Entry of the Holy Family into Egypt with events which will be held at Tell-Basta on 2 and 3 June.
Watani will be posting and printing detailed reporting on these events.
Watani International
31 May 2023
