The Papal Residence at the Monastery of Saint Bishoy

The Papal Residence at the Monastery of Saint Bishoy

The Papal Residence at the Monastery of Saint Bishoy was established during the era of the late His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, who laid its foundation stone in 1973.

Construction of the residence took nearly ten years, after which it became an important center for ecclesiastical meetings, conferences, and ecumenical gatherings. His Holiness also observed a weekly retreat at this residence.

In the era of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, a new chapter began in the history of the Papal Residence at the Monastery of Saint Bishoy.

His Holiness restructured and developed some of the residence's buildings. He also established the Logos Papal Center, designed to be a center of cultural and spiritual outreach and a link between the Coptic mother church and its churches around the world. He likewise founded the Central Papal Library to serve as the mother of all libraries in the Coptic Church, established the Saint Mark Academy to oversee all educational entities of the Church, and created the Manuscripts Center, which houses hundreds of manuscripts and supports the restoration and digital preservation of manuscripts scattered across monasteries and churches.