With the prayers of H.G. Bishop Boutros, The Coptic Orthodox Church has been able to acquire the Hillside Lodge in Canadensis, Pennsylvania as St. John the Beloved Monastery, Patmos. On October 16th, the Monastery held its first Divine Liturgy after being purchased on October 15th 2012. With the presence of H.G. Bishop Boutros, Fr. Mauritius Anba Bishoy, Fr. Pavlos Anba Bishoy, Fr. Ologios El Antony, and Fr. Demian El Antony along with Dr. Ashraf Azer, Amgad Azer, Remon Girgis, Youstina Mikhail, and Sister Ruth.
The Monastery is located in the very heart of the Pocono Mountains and is nestled on 30 acres of land. It includes a main lodge which houses three floors, our main kitchen area, dining area, and a game room. Along with the 12 buildings and twenty-nine rooms it includes mini golf area, tennis court, basketball court, children's playground and volleyball court.
The Monastery currently makes Candles, Gold Leaf Icons, Wood Burning Icons, Chocolate, Pastrami, Salted Fish, and various Cheeses.
The Monastery is located in the very heart of the Pocono Mountains and is nestled on 30 acres of land. It includes a main lodge which houses three floors, our main kitchen area, dining area, and a game room. Along with the 12 buildings and twenty-nine rooms it includes mini golf area, tennis court, basketball court, children's playground and volleyball court.
The Monastery currently makes Candles, Gold Leaf Icons, Wood Burning Icons, Chocolate, Pastrami, Salted Fish, and various Cheeses.
What is the Coptic Orthodox Church?
The word ― ‘Coptic’ simply means ― ‘Egyptian’ and is derived from the Greek word for Egyptian, Eigyptos. The word ―Orthodox”is derived from two Greek words "Ortho” (straight or correct) and "Doxa" (praise, faith, belief, worship). This is to signify that the teachings and faith that the apostles received are the same that the Coptic Orthodox Church has now.
It is the Church of the Apostles
The Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the few Churches in the world today that was established by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ upon the foundation of the Apostles. Many Egyptians were baptized into the Christian faith by the apostles at Pentecost. (Acts 2:10) Thereafter, the apostles dispersed to preach the good news of salvation to the entire world. In the year 57 AD, Saint Mark, one of the apostles and author of the second gospel, went to the port city of Alexandria, Egypt to preach Christianity to the native Egyptians. St. Mark established the Coptic Church by ordaining a bishop and 7 priests, and structured its worship. Thus, St. Mark is considered the first patriarch of Alexandria. He was martyred there by the Romansin 68 AD.
Early Influence and History:
The Church established by St. Mark grew tremendously in the first four centuries into one that shed her light upon the whole world. After the Roman Empire officially accepted Christianity, Alexandria became a renowned center of learning in theology. Several great pioneers from the Coptic Church played critical roles in the development of the Christian Church. One such pioneer was St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, who defended the divinity of Christ while he was a young deacon at the First Council of Nicea(325 AD). He was one of the writers of the Christian Creed, which is followed by most Christians. Another great influence was St. Cyril of Alexandria, who stressed the unity of the divinity and humanity of Christ in the third Council of Ephesus (431 AD). Another great Egyptian sage was St. Anthony the Great (251-356 AD), the founding father of the great monastic movement. Egyptian asceticism and monasticism became the foundation that many of the western orders are based upon. Also during this golden era, Coptic missionaries preached throughout Ethiopia, Sudan, and Nubia and reached as far as the British Isles—long before Augustine of Canterbury (597). Today, the Coptic Church has millions of members throughout the world.
Belief Fundamentals
We believe in one God, with three essences: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is the Creator of all things in heaven and earth. The Son, Jesus Christ, was begotten from the Father, was crucified on our behalf, and saved us from the death of sin by His resurrection. He was incarnate from the Virgin as completely human and completely divine - two natures in one. The Holy Spirit is the Giver of Life, the Comforter Who proceeds from the Father. We worship all Three in One. We believe that the Bible is the divine inspiration of God and is under no private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20-21). The church believes in the seven Sacraments: Baptism, Chrismation, Repentance and Confession, the Holy Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Holy Matrimony, and Priesthood.
Salvation and Forgiveness of Sins
In His love, Christ took our shame and gave us His Image. He took what was ours and gave us what is His. Through the Blood of Christ, a person regains the Image of God and eternal life. We seek the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls through faith in Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1), good works (James 1:14, 1:17, 2:24; Rom. 2:13; 1 Cor. 13:2), and the church sacraments.
St. John the Beloved, the Evangelist, Theologian
Toba 4-On this day, in the year 100 A.D., St. John, the virgin, the evangelist, and apostle who was the son of Zebedee, departed. St. John Chrysostom (of the Golden Mouth) said that St. John the Evangelist was originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist. He was the brother of St. James the Elder, who was killed by Herod by the sword. The Lord called him with his brother "Boanerges" (Mark 3:17), that is "sons of thunder," for their strong zeal and great faith. He was also the disciple whom Jesus loved.
The lot fell on him to go to Asia. The people of this area were stiff-necked, so he prayed to Christ to be with him. He went to Ephesus, accompanied by his disciple Prochorus. They embarked on a ship, but the ship was wrecked on the way and every one of the passengers clung to a plank of the ship's wood. The waves washed out Prochorusto an island, but St. John remained among the waves of the sea for several days, until the waves carried him, by the will of God, to the same island where his disciple Prochorus was. When they met together, they offered thanks to God for taking care of them.
From there, St. John went to the city of Ephesus where he preached the word of salvation. Its people did not accept his message at first, until a day when an only child fell in the furnace of a public bath managed by the child's mother. They took him in haste out of the fire, but he was dead and his mother wept bitterly. At this time, St. John went to the child, prayed fervently to God, made the sign of the Cross over him, breathed in the child's face, and life came back to him right away. His mother rejoiced and she kissed the feet of the Apostle and tears of joy were in her eyes. From this time on, the people of the city came to hear his teachings and many of them believed and were baptized by St. John. This made the priests of the idols resent him and they tried to kill him several times but they could not, for the Lord protects all His chosen ones. After a great effort and many hardships, St. John led them to the knowledge of God and ordained bishops and priests for them.
From there, he went to other places in Asia (Minor) and converted many of its people to the Faith of Christ.
This saint lived 90 years, and they used to carry him to the gatherings of the believers. Because of his old age, he only gave them very short sermons saying, "My children, love one another." He wrote the gospel known after him, and the Book of Revelation, which he had seen on the island of Patmos, which is full of divine mysteries. He also wrote the three epistles known by his name.
He was with the Lord Jesus Christ at the Transfiguration. He leaned (reclined) on the chest of our Lord at the Last Supper. He asked the Lord, "Who is he that shall betray you?" He was standing near theCross-with the Virgin St. Mary and the Lord said to his mother, "Behold your Son," and to John, "Behold your mother." He was the disciple about whom Peter asked the Lord, "And this one, what of him?" The Lord said to Peter, "If it be that I wish him to be here until I come, what is that to you?"
When St. John felt that he was about to depart from this world, he summoned the people and administered to them the Body and the Blood of the Lord. He preached and commanded them to be steadfast in their faith.
He then departed from the City of Ephesus for a short distance. He commanded his disciple and others with him to dig there a pit for him. He went down in it, raised his hands and prayed and then bade them farewell. He commanded them to return to the city and to confirm the brethren in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and said to them, "I am innocent of your blood, for I did not leave any command of God that I haven't taught you, and now, let it be known that you will never see my face again, and God will reward everyone according to his deeds."
When he said that, they kissed his hand and his feet, and they left him and returned to the city. When the people knew what had happened, they went out to where the saint was, and they found that he had departed. They wept and were deeply sad. They talked about his miracles and marveled about his meekness.
In spite of the fact that he did not die by the sword, as the rest of the apostles did, he was equal to them in the heavenly glories, for his virginity and his holiness.
RESOURCES
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
118th Pope of Alexandria and Patrarch of the See of St. Mark
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His father was an irrigation engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour.He received his bachelor's degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a manager in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health.
His Holiness's life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children's festival as well when he was in charge of the children's committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.
His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches
His Holiness's life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children's festival as well when he was in charge of the children's committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.
His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches