St. BishoyMonastery

Saint Anba Bishoy the Great was born in 320 AD in the village of Shentena, Menoufia Governorate. From his early childhood, God chose him to become a holy vessel in His service and a spiritual father to a great community of monks. At the age of twenty, he left the world behind and went to the wilderness of Wadi El Natrun, where he became a disciple of Saint Anba Pambo and began a profound monastic life centered on prayer, fasting, vigils, and manual work. Anba Bishoy lived with a heart filled with love for the Lord Jesus Christ. His life became a model of humility, obedience, and spiritual struggle. He served the poor and the monks with sincere love and cared deeply for the salvation of every soul. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him on several occasions and granted him the great promise that his body would not see corruption, as a sign of his holiness and the purity of his life. When the barbarians attacked the wilderness, Anba Bishoy moved with his disciples to Ansena, where he established a monastery. He continued to serve the monks and the people with love and wisdom until he departed peacefully on July 15, 417 AD, at the age of ninety-seven. The Coptic Orthodox Church continues to celebrate his feast on the 8th of Abib each year, remembering his blessed life of faith, love, obedience, and asceticism, and presenting him as a living example for everyone who seeks a life with God.