Abraam, Bishop of Faiyum

Infobox Saint
name = Saint Abraam


imagesize=150px
titles= Bishop of Fayum and Giza
birth_date= 1829
death_date= 10 June, 1914
birth_place= Gilda, Mallawi, Minya Governorate, Egypt
death_place= Faiyum, Egypt
feast_day= 3 Paoni
venerated_in= Coptic Orthodox Church
canonized_date= 1964

Saint Abraam (1829 - 10 June 1914) was a contemporary Coptic Orthodox saint. He was the Bishop of Faiyum and Giza, and was also known as "the Friend of the Poor".

Biography

Bishop Abraam was born Boulos (Paul) Gabriel in 1545 A.M. (1829 AD), in the village of Gilda, district of Mallawi, in the Minya Governorate.

At the age of eight, Boulos' mother died after a brief illness. At the age of fifteen the village priests recommended him to Bishop Youssab (John), the Bishop of the Diocese, who ordained him as a deacon. Boulos joined the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, known as El-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut, where he was ordained monk in 1848, at the age of nineteen. His monastic name became Father Paul El-Muharraqi.

Father Paul was distinguished by his patience and self-control, and his interest in almsgiving. Metropolitan Yakoubos (Jakob) heard about him and asked him to come to the Metropolitanate to continue his work with the poor. After four years, he asked to return to the monastery. The Metropolitan ordained him a priest and allowed him to return to the monastery in 1863.

Father Paul then became abbot of the El-Muharraq Monastery. The number of new monks exceeded forty within a short period of time. Father Paul was deposed by Metropolitan Marcos in 1870 after complaints by the monks under his rule. Shortly after his dismissal, Father Paul left Al Muharraq Monastery and went to the Paromeos Monastery. Four monks from Al Muharraq Monastery accompanied him. The abbot of the Paromeos Monastery, at that time, was arch-priest Youhanna (John) the Scribe, who later became Pope Cyril V of Alexandria.

In 1597 A.M. (1881 A.D.), Pope Cyril V appointed Father Paul Bishop to the parish of Fayoum and Giza, carrying the name of Bishop Abraam, and replacing its reposed Bishop Isaak.

Bishop Abraam died on 3 Paoni 1630 A.M. (10 June, 1914 AD). Some twenty five thousand persons attended his funeral, both Christians and Muslims. He was buried in a grave he had prepared himself. His body is preserved at the Coptic Orthodox Metropolitanate of Fayoum, in Egypt.

In 1964, the The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria canonized Bishop Abraam as a saint, and decided to add his name to those of the saints mentioned in the "Diptych of the Saints" during the Divine Liturgy. Many Coptic Orthodox churches around the world are named after him.Fact|date=June 2007

References

* [http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/10_3.html#5 Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium (Book of Saints)]
*Atiya, Aziz S. "The Coptic Encyclopedia." New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1991. ISBN 002897025X

External links

* [http://www.zeitun-eg.org/ABRM1&2_02.pdf Online e-Book: St. Anba Abraam the Departed Bishop of Fayoum "Friend of the Poor" (1829-1914 A.D.) - Includes Part I: His Life & Part II: Wonders and Miracles - Written by William A. Hanna, Ph.D. (Format: PDF - 790 KB)]
* [http://www.copticchurch.org/Texts/Spirituals/Anbabram.pdf Another e-Book about Anba Abraam, the Friend of the Poor, by Rev. Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty (Format: PDF - 646 KB)]
* http://www.copticchurch.org/English_spiritual_articles/AnbaAbraam.htm
* [http://www.stmary-church.com/anbaabraam.pdf Saint (Anba) Abraam Museum: An Album of the Contents of the Museum of The Departed Bishop of Fayoum; The Monastery of St. Mercurius known as 'Deir AL-Azab' Fayoum, Egypt (Format: PDF - 1.17 MB)]
* [http://www.stabraammonastery.com/ The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of El-Fayoum/Anba Abraam Monastery, Egypt (most content in Arabic)]