SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

Church or a dear friend, but rather the loss of the most important Coptologist in the Modern Coptic Church. In that capacity, his departure from our world is a tremendous loss, because people of such quality are so rare in our midst. His life was an example of a dedicated servant who received his talents from the Lord and multiplied it many folds out of his love for God. He set a goal in life to pursue and study monasticism, which originated in Egypt. His early service days, as Sameh Adly, were spent in St. Mary Coptic Church in Faggallah, Cairo. There he taught Sunday School and was responsible for the popularizing of the use of the Coptic Hymnology in his church and others, by the publishing of a more compact version of sections of the Coptic Psalmody. After his forced retirement from the Army at a young age, as it was customary for Christian officers, he began again to pursue his life-long goal. This led him to earn a Masters degree in Architecture from the University and to join the German Archeological Institute in Cairo. Under the guidance of its Director, Dr. Peter Grossmann, he learned the scholarly methodology of researching in the field of Coptic Ecclesiastical Architecture. His longing for the study of monasticism led him eventually to joining the Syrian Monastery in Wadi al-Natroun in 1984. There, he pursued the monastic life as well as his dream. As a result he became the Church representative with the foreign excavation teams that were working in this field in Egypt. He also taught Church Architecture at the Cairo Institute of Higher Coptic Studies. Eight years after joining the monastery, he was selected and ordained a bishop in the Coptic Church. He chose Shibin al-Qanatar to serve in that capacity, to be in close proximity to Cairo, where most of his research activities were centered. My first meeting with him was in Los Angeles, shortly after his ordination as bishop in 1992. His encouragement for the work of the Society was of immense value. It helped to further

promote the Society in the academic world especially during the Coptic Congresses that we attended together. We were blessed by having him attend and participate in the first two St. Shenouda Conferences of Coptic Studies in 1998 and 1999. He participated, even though his health was on the decline due to his 1996 car accident and the stroke he suffered later. This participation was especially significant because it paved the way for his participation in the newly formed St. Mark Foundation. I last met him during the Wadi al-Natroun International Symposium, organized by St. Mark Foundation in February 2002. I was then saddened by the deterioration of his health. May God repose his soul and reward him for his work which was done first and foremost for the glory of His Holy Name. May He also keep the torch that Bishop Samuel lit by his work, burning in the hearts of Copts and others and move them to complete his work. The following is a chronology and bibliography of his illustrious life, written by his friend and our colleague Dr. Youhanna Nessim Youssef of Melbourne Australia. It is published as posted by him on the Internet with changes to the dates to conform to the American system. - Born in Cairo 1/29/1937 - B. Architecture - Cairo University 1958 - Participating in Excavations in all Egypt working as assistant to Dr Peter Grossmann (from the German Institute of Archaeology in Cairo). - Monk in the Suriani Monastery 2/5/1984 - Established the Section of the Coptic Architecture in the Coptic Institute since 2/20/1984 with the help of the Late professor Hishmat Messiha (former director of Egyptian Antiquity Organization) and Professor Sami Sabri (Cairo University). - Ordained priest 11/27/1987. - Consecrated Bishop of Toukh, Shebine al Qanater and Khanak 6/14/1992.

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

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