- Pishoy
Infobox Saint
name=Saint Pishoy
birth_date=320
death_date=417
feast_day=July 15 = 8Epip
venerated_in=Oriental Orthodox Churches
imagesize=200px
caption=Coptic icon of Saint Pishoy, Star of the Desert and Beloved of our Good Savior
birth_place=Shansa ,Egypt
death_place=Mountain ofAnsena ,Egypt
titles=
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beatified_place=
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canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=Monk carryingJesus ,Monk washing the feet ofJesus
patronage=
major_shrine=Monastery of Saint Pishoy ,Scetes ,Egypt
suppressed_date=
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prayer_attrib=Saint Pishoy (320-417 A.D.), known in the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria as the "Star of the Desert" and the "Beloved of our Good Savior", is anEgypt iandesert father . He is said to have seenJesus and that his body is preserved to the present day in incorruption at theMonastery of Saint Pishoy at theNitrian Desert ,Egypt . He is venerated by theOriental Orthodox Churches , and mainly by the Coptic Orthodox Church as Saint Bishoy. He is also venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church by the name of Saint Paisios and in the western church as Saint Christiphorous (or the one who carried Christ on his shoulders).Life
Bishoy was born in 320 A.D. in the village of
Shansa (Shensha or Shesna), currently in theEgypt ian governorate of Al Minufiyah. Younger to six other brothers, he was weak and frail. His mother saw anangel in a vision asking her to give God one of her children, and pointed at Bishoy. When the mother tried to offer one of her stronger children, theangel insisted that Bishoy was the chosen one.At the age of twenty, Bishoy went to the wilderness of
Scetes and became amonk by the hand ofSaint Pambo , who also ordained Saint John the Dwarf a monk. WhenSaint Pambo died, Bishoy was guided by anangel to the site of the present Monastery of Saint Pishoy, where he lived the life of ahermit . At this time, he became the spiritual father of many monks who gathered around him. He was famous for his love, wisdom, simplicity and kindness, as well as for his extremely ascetic life. He was also known to love seclusion and quietness. Bishoy's ascetism was harsh to the extent of tying his hair and hands with a rope to the ceiling of his cell, in order to resist sleeping during his night prayers. This ascetism made him so famous that he was visited by Saint Ephrem the Syrian.The
Copt s believe that Bishoy sawJesus a number of times. Once, an old monk asked him to help him climb a mountain, so Bishoy carried him on his shoulders and climbed, only to discover that the old monk was no one butJesus . The latter told him that, for the extent of his love, his body will not see corruption. TheCopt s also believe that Bishoy washed the feet ofJesus who visited him as a poor stranger.Bishoy is known as a defender of
Orthodoxy againstheresies . Having heard of an ascetic in the mountain ofAnsena who taught that there was noHoly Spirit , Bishoy went to him carrying a weaved basket with three ears. When the old man asked him about the reason for making three ears for a basket, Bishoy replied "I have a Trinity, and everything I do is like the Trinity". After much debate from the Scriptures, the Old andNew Testament s, the old ascetic reverted toOrthodoxy .Departure and Relics
In 407/408 A.D., as the
Berbers invaded the wilderness ofScetes , Bishoy left and dwelt in the mountain ofAnsena . At this time he metSaint Paul of Tammah inAntinopolis and the two became very close friends. While at the mountain ofAnsena , Bishoy built another monastery, the monastery of Amba Bishui atDayr al-Barsha , which exists until today nearMallawi . Bishoy departed on 8Epip (July 15 ) 417 AD.On December 13th 841 AD, 4
Koiak 557 AM, Pope Joseph I fulfilled the desire of Saint Bishoy and moved his body as well as that ofSaint Paul of Tammah to theMonastery of Saint Bishoy in the wilderness ofScetes . [http://www.coptic.net/lessons/StBishoy.txt] It is said that they first attempted to move the body of Saint Bishoy only, but when they carried it to the boat on theNile , the boat would not move until they brought in the body ofSaint Paul of Tammah as well. [ [http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/2_7.html#1 Lives of Saints :: Baba 7 ] ] Today, the two bodies lie in the main church of the Coptic OrthodoxMonastery of Saint Bishoy in theNitrian Desert . Eyewitnesses recount that the body of Saint Bishoy remains in incorruption until the present day.Monasteries named after Saint Bishoy
There are currently three monasteries in
Egypt that carry the name of Saint Bishoy:
* TheMonastery of Saint Bishoy at theNitrian Desert
* The Monastery of Saint Bishoy atDeir el-Bersha , nearMallawi
* TheMonastery of Saint Bishoy at Armant , east ofArmant
**Note that theRed Monastery nearSouhag is also named after an Egyptian saint called Pishay. This saint is not to be confused with Saint Bishoy.References
* [http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/11_8.html#1 Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium (Book of Saints)]
* [http://www.coptic.org/stmarkno/jul97.htm Bishoy from Coptic.org]
* [http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/bishoy.html Bishoy from copticchurch.net]
* [http://www.stmaryscopticorthodox.ca/articles/pishoi.pdf Bishoy from stmaryscopticorthodox.ca]External links
* [http://www.copticorthodox.ca St Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada]
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