The Apparation of Virgin Mary at El-Zeitoun Church

Original Book Title: The Apparition of Virgin Mary at El-Zeitoun Church
Author Name: The Apparition of Virgin Mary at El-Zeitoun Church
Publisher Name: The Apparition of Virgin Mary at El-Zeitoun Church
Publication Year: 1985
Book Language: Arabic
Egyptian registration NO: 2305/85

Foreword

As  we  have received from different parts of  the  world different enquiries regarding the  apparitions of the  blessed Virgin Mary in our Coptic Orthodox church at Zeitoun Cairo, we have  found it necessary to  issue this  book which is based on  documental evidence.
Hoping that it may shed suitable light on and give adequate details of the subject, we are pleased to achieve the task of pursuing and investigating St. Mary’s apparitions and miracles at Zeitoun.
Zeitoun was more of a Cairo suburb than a district in it, now become one of the thickly populated districts in Cairo, Tumanbay Street; where the Coptic Church lies, is a main street at Zeitoun. Opposite to the Church there used to be a big garage for the buses of the Public transport Authority.
On April 2nd, 1968 an hour and a half after sunset, the mechanics and drivers of the garage were all alarmed by some disturbance in the street. The workmen ran   to the street.  They saw a young lady dressed in white on the church dome. They saw her walking on the dome. They thought that she was about to throw herself down. So they cried: “Be careful. Take care, you may fall down, wait”. As the dome is curved, no human being can walk   on it. Then some of the pedestrians who stood to watch the scene cried ”Virgin Mary, Virgin Mary”.
As the garage workmen who were watching the apparition were all moslems, they looked on keenly and they all became extremely astonished. The blessed Virgin who appeared in a luminous body, moved on the dome and bowed and   knelt before the cross..!
I have had the bliss of witnessing the Virgin’s apparitions over the domes of Virgin’s Church in Zeitoun.
The traffic in Tumanbay Street was stopped and a big crowd of people stood to watch the apparition of the blessed Virgin. The workmen of the garage who were on duty at that particular time all gave reports that ascertained and confirmed their witness as they all gave the same particulars.
Rev. Father Constantine, the priest of the church, saw also the blessed Virgin’s apparition…
Sometimes she appeared in a bust and at other times in her full body moving between and on the domes. She bowed to the congregation and the crowds of people in front of the Church She blessed them. On certain nights she stood in the attitude of praying. She knelt in front of the church cross and the dome. Sometimes she was accompanied or preceded by celestial beings in the form of doves luminous and bright. At other times she was seen with an olive branch in her hand.
Though those apparitions occurred throughout a whole year, the Virgin’s miracles still take place till the present day.
In this booklet, I have recorded some of the miracles I have seen and of whose authenticity I have made sure.
I thank Mr. Safwat Fahim for helping me produce this book in its present form.

Hegomenous Fr. Boutrous Gayed

Rector of the Virgin St. Mary Church at Zeitoun