SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

monastery in the name of the Patriarchate, and essentially put the Archdeacon and another companion as stewards of the monastery until the Pope would dispatch new monks. The internment of the Pope from September 1981, to January 1985 created a rather chaotic atmosphere among the Copts abroad. The result can best be described by the last verse in the Book of Judges, "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Jud 21:25). This led to the deterioration of the conditions in the monastery and later dashed any hope of the arrival of any new monks after the mysterious departure of the monk from the monastery. It slowly became obvious in the minds of many that the monastery project was fast approaching its final days. The encouragement of the clergy in the area slowly deteriorated to a level that would range from apathetic to hostile. Even the Church board of St. Mark Church (the official keeper of the monastery), began to actively debate the sale of the land in favor of establishing a closer recreational area for the community. The monastery was about 150 miles away from the Church. By then, the monastery financial resources were things of the past. Those were the conditions that faced the Archdeacon when he assumed his new duties in the monastery. For the next 2-1/2 years he labored, not only to keep it alive, but to promote it throughout North America, and to coordinate the plans for its eventual development. Though he looked like a fool to many for fighting a seemingly losing cause, many also could not help but follow the example of extreme dedication that he displayed. Among his many activities, he lobbied the Pope in Egypt (through the offices of Bishop Dioscorus) for monks as well as development plans. He also lobbied the churches for their support. He organized activities on a weekly basis to rebuild and revitalize the monastery. He organized the celebration of the feast of Saint Antony at the monastery, thus keeping the flame lit. A flame that kept burning, primarily fueled by his efforts and the stand he took in the face of such

adversities. This stand can best be described as near-Athanasian in tenacity. He did all this while supporting his family and performing the duties of his full-time job. In all, he gave his all. In late 1986, Bishop Antonious Marcos of African Affairs departed from Kenya, where he was headquarted, to Los Angeles for reasons to be discussed in a later time. A move that no one in their wildest dreams could have foreseen. He was entrusted by the Pope to take care of the monastery while he was there. Under his guidance, the Archdeacon, consequently more jubilant, worked even harder. The result was the construction of the main monastery building, inc uding a church and housing accommodations for four monks. By then the Archdeacon has taken an early retirement from his engineering job in order to participate in the building effort. He organized and coordinated the work, and Bishop Antonious Marcos recruited the donors. The construction cost was basically paid from a near empty bank account, where funds came for a quick visit before making their short and ultimate journey to the contractor's pocket. The bishop left in March of 1988, and during the same year, the Pope approved the dispatch of four experienced monks. This eventually happened in September of 1989. In November 1989, the Pope came to Los Angeles for the first time since 1977. In recognition of the efforts of the then Mr. Noshy H. Takla, he ordained him a deacon for the monastery on November 14, 1989. He reluctantly accepted and then set out to learn the rites, hymns, and language of the church. He did it diligently, enthusiastically, and humbly; using every means available to him: recordings, books, monks, and laymen. The responsibility of the new office was his motivation and driving force. Such conduct was all too natural for him. This is the way he approached every responsibility given to him. In late 1993, he was nominated and accepted by the Pope for the priesthood. Feeling his undeserveness for such an esteemed office, he literally begged those who nominated him to withdraw that nomination, which they did out of respect for his wishes. Until this day the Pope

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

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