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C O P | N E T

Patriarchate Report On the Apparition of Saint Mary
in the Zaitoun Church in Cairo, Egypt

Since the evening of Tuesday April 2, 1968 (the 24th of Bramhat, 1684
A.M.), the apparitions of the Holy Virgin Saint Mary, Mother of God,
have continued in her church in Zaitoun, Cairo. The apparitions have
been on several nights and are continuing.

The Holy Virgin Saint Mary sometimes appeared surrounded with a
halo of shining light. She was seen in different locations such as on
the windows of the domes of the church. And, she was observed
walking on the roof of the church. When she knelt in reverence to the
cross, the cross shone with bright light. Waving her blessed hands and
nodding her head, she blessed the people who gathered to observe the
miracle. She sometimes appeared in a cloud of light and sometimes
as a figure of light. Her apparitions were sometimes preceded with
heavenly bodies shaped like doves moving at high speeds. The
apparitions continued for long periods, up to 2 hours and 15 minutes
as in the dawn of Tuesday April 30, 1968 (the 22nd of Barmouda,
1684 A.M.), where she appeared continuously from 2:45am till 5:00am.

Thousands of people of different denominations and religions,
Egyptians and foreign visitors observed the miracles. The
description of each apparition as of the time, location and
configuration was identically witnessed by all people, which makes
this apparition unique and sublime.

Two important aspects accompanied this miracle: The first is an
incredible revival in the faith of many, repentance of many and the
return of many who strayed away from the faith. The second are the
numerous miracles of healing which were verified by many physicians to
be miraculous in nature.

The church confirmed the apparition after a thorough investigation
by the Church Council assigned by his Holiness Pope Cyril
(Kyrellos), who observed the miracle as well.

Therefore, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate declares with great
joy and humility of the heart the confirmation that the Holy Virgin
Mary appeared clearly on several nights at different nights at
different times, for periods lasting on occasions more than 2 hours.
the location of the church in Zaitoun is on the path that the Holy
Family took when visiting Egypt. May God make this miracle a symbol
for peace in the world, and a blessing for our nation as it has been
prophesized: "Blessed is Egypt My people".

Saturday May 4, 1968

Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate

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"Official investigations have been carried out with the result that
it has been considered an undeniable fact that the Blessed Virgin
Mary has been appearing on Zeitun Church in a clear and bright
luminous body seen by all present in front of the church, whether
Christians or Moslems"

--Report of General Information and Complaints Department, Zeitun,
Egypt 1968

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The New York Times, August 21, 1968. Page 4.

Arabs Throng Christian Church At Cairo After Report of Vision

By Eric Pace
Special to The New York Times

ZEITOUN, United Arab Republic, Aug. 7--Hundreds of ailing Arabs have
been making pilgrimages to this bleak Cairo suburb to have what they
regard as devils chased out of their bodies.

Moslems and Christians alike, they have shuffled through the sandy
yard of Zeitoun's Church of Saint Mary for three months, since the
Virgin was first said to have appeared miraculously floating over the
church's dome.

Since then, countless Egyptians have reported seeing her above the
church, sometimes as a glowing light and sometimes as an articulated
figure, occasionally bearing and olive branch.

As a result, Zeitoun has quickly become a major center of worship and
of the ancient art of faith-healing.

Many of the ailing say that they feel better after having come here.

"With the help of the Virgin it is easy to draw the devils out," said
a muscular young Coptic priest, Father Youhanna Boulos, smiling in
the light of the pilgrims' candles one recent evening.

With silver cross in his hand he bent over a burly epileptic who was
sprawled on a sheet in the churchyard.

"What is your name? What is your name? Speak or I will burn you with
fire." Father Boulos shouted in Arabic. He was not addressing the sick
man, a Moslem tannery foreman named Mohammed Ahmed Abbassy, but the
devil thought to be lurking withing him.

Soon, Mar. Abbassy began to moan. When Father Boulos placed the cross
to his lips he sputtered, "No, no--you hurt me!"

Onlookers, praying and chanting around the sheet accepted this as the
voice of the devil.

"Who are you? Are you from land or water?" the priest cried, gripping
one of Mr. Abbassy's fingers in accordance with the custom of the
Copts, adherents of Egypt's ancient Christian sect.

"Sergious . . . Sergious," the answer came weakly.

"How long have you been there?" Father Boulos asked harshly.

"Twenty years. I want to go now."

"You are not a liar?" the priest asked.

"No. I speak the truth and I will depart."

"Now give me a sign where you will go out," Father Boulos ordered.

"From the foot, the left one," was the reply. A moment later, Mr.
Abbassy's left foot rose from the sheet and trembled in the air as
though something was trying to escape from it. Then it fell back
limply.

"Now go and peace be with you," the priest cried exultantly.

Beyond the candlelight, a woman began with the shrill trilling cry
that Arab women use in moments of great joy.

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The apparition of the Blessed Virgin St Mary Church occured in her
church in the Cairo suburb of Zeitoun. The apparitions began on
April 2, 1968, and according to some reports continued every
night for months. Her longest single appearance was on April 30,
1968, when the vision remained from 2:45 a.m. until 5 a.m. The
nightly apparition attracted vast crowds of both Copts and Muslims,
and was declared a genuine miracle by the Coptic Church.

References
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[1] Iris Habib El Masri, The Story of the Copts (Cairo: Middle East
Council of
Churches, 1978), p. 557 ff.

[2] Fr. Jerome Palmer, Our Lady Returns to Egypt (Bernardino,
California:
Culligan Publications, Inc. 1969).

[3] Cynthia Nelson, "Stress, Religious Experience and Mental Health,"
Catalyst
6 (1972): 48-57.

[4] Otto F. A. Meinardus, Christian Egypt: Faith and Life (Cairo:
American
University in Cairo Press, 1970), pp. 268-269.

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