The Golden Jubilee of the Apparition of The Virgin Mary at Zeitoun
Original Book Title: The Golden Jubilee of the Apparition of The Virgin Mary at Zeitoun
Author Name: The Team of Virgin of Zeitoun Magazine
Publisher Name: Patriarchate of the Coptic Orthodox in Cairo
The Church of the Virgin St. Mary at Zeitoun- Cairo- Egypt
Publication Year: April 2018
Book Language: Arabic
ISBN: N/A
Story of the book:
This book was issued on the occasion of the celebration of the golden jubilee of the our holy pure Virgin Saint Mary on April 2, 1968
Its scientific material have been collected by a group of church fathers headed by Bishop Yoannes, Bishop of Assiut and its affiliated regions. The book was presented by His Holiness Pope Anba Twadros II. The book was issued in Arabic, English and French.
Preface by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
Our country Egypt, beloved to St. Mary the Virgin who, one day, carried her baby our Lord Jesus under the protection of the guardian of the mystery of Divine Incarnation, Joseph the Carpenter, and brought Him to Egypt, fleeing the wrath of King Herod, in the early part of the first century, looking for safety and presence for blessing and grace.
After 20 centuries, she was seeking us with this amazing apparition on the domes of her church at Zeitoun, Cairo, half a century ago (1968–2018 AD). This event coincided with the return of the relics of St. Mark the Apostle and the opening of the St. Mark Cathedral in Abbassia, Cairo, during the pontificate of the Saint Pope Kyrillos the Sixth (1959–1971 AD).
Today, we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of that great apparition. A wonderful Cathedral, with other service buildings, have been built on the site close to that apparition. In addition, tens of activities have been adopted by the honored clergy, church elders, servants, and the entire congregation, youth, adults, and children.
In order to prepare for this occasion, we delegated His Grace Anba Youannes, Bishop of Assiut, about three years ago, to form a committee for the Golden Jubilee Celebration.
Issuing this documentary book is one of the results of that committee; the book documents and tells the story half a century after that blessed event.
My love and greetings to all the Priests and Servants who labored in preparing this beautiful book.
Wishing that the blessing of our Hallowed Christ, with the intercession of our Mother the Virgin Mary, St. Mark the Evangelist, and all the Angels and Saints, encompass all of us. To Him be the Glory and Honor forever and ever
pope Tawadros II April 2, 2018 AD
Introduction
By H.G. Bishop Youannes, Bishop of Assiut
- It is a great Jubilee, my beloved…
- What happened in overwhelming apparitions of St. Mary over the domes of her church at Zeitoun, fifty years ago, has never happened in history anywhere…
- How good it is to accurately document this great event, so our children know the magnitude of our Lord’s deeds for us, fifty years ago…
It was a command of Divine Love from Heaven to those passing through the Valley of Baca (Ps 84:6), in the loneliness of this world…
It was a command of Divine Love from Heaven to Earth… from eternity to our time… and how did it light a flame in our longing hearts for the eternity… Many are the blessings of the miraculous apparition of St. Mary over the domes of her church at Zeitoun, and a few of those are:
- She attracted sights and hearts from Earth to Heaven
- It was a great blessing for our beloved country, Egypt
- Egypt, where the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush on Horeb, the mountain of God. (Exodus 3:2-3)
- Egypt, where Moses received the two covenant tablets from the hand of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28-29)
- Egypt, about which Isaiah said: “Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord” (Isaiah 19:21)
- Egypt, to which the Holy Family escaped (Matthew 2:13-15) and blessed its land, blessed the area of Zeitoun and Mataria.
- Egypt, where the Virgin Mary appeared on the domes of her church at Zeitoun for several long months, in a manner that never happened in history.
- It was a great blessing and support for our beloved Coptic Orthodox Church.
- The apparition of the Virgin St. Mary on the domes of her church at Zeitoun indicates the approval of heaven of:
– Our Orthodox belief and faith
– The conduct and devoutness of the Coptic Clergy and Congregation.
If not, St. Mary would have never appeared…
- It was a clear message from heaven: those are my people, my sons and my daughters
- It was a tremendous blessing to our beloved Coptic people
- Who the Lord said about, according to Isaiah the Prophet: “Blessed is Egypt, My people.” (Isaiah 19:25)
- And we read in the Synaxarium on April 2 (24 Baramhat) that the Virgin St. Mary, during her apparition, was waving her hands, blessing the multitudes of people.
- She was a cure for the souls, spirits, and bodies
- She was a cure for the souls and repentance for the thousands who enjoyed seeing her.
- She was a cure for the spirits, repose, and support for every desperate, heavy, and sad heart
- She was a cure for the bodies—thousands were miraculously cured and told of the effects of the intercession of our Mother of Light, St. Mary
- She was the reason for the growth and preservation of faith, hope, and love in the hearts of many. As St. Paul said: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).
- She caused the construction of the new cathedral—the Lord knew ahead of time that the number of Copts at Zeitoun would increase while the church was too small.
Lastly, my beloved, I cannot find words to thank our honored pontiff, the great among the Patriarchs, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, for allowing me to serve with the committee charged with the preparations for the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Apparition of St. Mary in her church at Zeitoun. We ask our Lord to support him with His grace and to strengthen him with His wisdom in leading our beloved Coptic Orthodox Church
I will not forget to thank the honored church priests and all members of the committee for their labor of love. I specifically thank Fr. Youhanna Yassa and all his helpers for their love and their sincere interest in issuing this special book on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Apparition of St. Mary at Zeitoun.
May the blessings and intercession of St. Mary, the Mother of Light, be with us all.
Glory be to God forever, Amen
Youannes, Bishop of Assiut, April 2, 2018
Table of content
Preface By His Holiness Pope Tawadros II 3
Introduction By His Grace Bishop Youannes 4
Events of the Apparition 7
The Church Confirms The Apparition of The Virgin Mary: 17
- The report of the papal committee 18
- Statement from the Papal Headquarter in Cairo 20
- Press Conference 21
Eyewitnesses 25
Authentic Testimonies 39
The Reverberations of the Apparition: 47
- On the official level 48
- Media Coverage 50
- The World Witnesses 55
- The Foreign books 60
Miracles of Healing 63
Unique Apparation 69
Why did the Virgin Mary appear? 85
Journey of the Holy Family 93
Celebrations of the Feast of the Apparition 97
About the Church of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun 111
Blessed 122
Credits 123
References 124
