The Golden Jubilee of His Grace Bishop Theophilus
His Grace Bishop Theophilus congratulates His Holiness the Pope on his selection as the successor of Saint Mark.
His Grace Bishop Theophilus, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of the Virgin (the Syrians), spent 50 years in monasticism. He was tonsured a monk on the Feast of the Virgin (21 Tobe) in the year 1926.
He was a flame of activity since his monasticism. He was chosen as deputy of the monastery during the abbacy of Hegumen Feltaos. Then he was chosen as abbot and bishop of it in the year 1948. His episcopal ordination was performed by His Holiness Pope Yusab II together with the five Ethiopian bishops, among whom was the departed Catholicos Anba Basilios, and His Beatitude the current Patriarch of Ethiopia “Abuna” Theophilus.
His Grace spent more than 27 years in the abbacy of the monastery, during which he ordained more than 70 monks. From among his sons in monasticism came 9 fathers who are bishops, namely Their Graces:
Anba Athanasius, Bishop of Beni Suef and Al-Bahnasa; Anba Samuel, Bishop of General Services; Anba Domadius, Bishop of Giza; Anba Yoannes, Bishop of Gharbia; Anba Pachomius, Bishop of Beheira, Matrouh, and Pentapolis; Anba Agathon, the General Bishop; Anba Bishoy, Bishop of Damietta, the Desert, and Kafr El-Sheikh; Anba Sarapamon, Abbot of the Monastery of Anba Bishoy; and Anba Hedra, Bishop of Aswan.
We also do not forget that His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was also among his sons in monasticism.
His sons in monasticism also continue to populate many monasteries, among them the Monastery of the Virgin (Al-Muharraq), the Monastery of Anba Paula, the Monastery of Anba Samuel, and the Monastery of Al-Rizaiqat in Luxor, and they also served in England, France, and Libya…
His Grace Bishop Theophilus was the first to open his monastery to receive monks who had grown in the service of Church Education, after the Holy Synod at that time decided not to recognize the Monastery of Anba Samuel (the first monastery in which they had become monks).
He was the first to establish in his monastery an organized library rich with translations of the Sayings of the Fathers; the first to establish in his monastery a retreat house to which young men come to spend spiritual periods; and the first to establish in his monastery a printing press for publishing monastery manuscripts.
He was also the first to implement the project of individual cells surrounding the monastery.
Perhaps among the reasons for the success of His Grace Bishop Theophilus was that he was the most resident of monastery abbots in the desert monastery itself…
While the majority of monastery abbots resided in the monastery estate to manage the monastery endowments and lands, he lived as a monk with the monks in the monastery.
He cared greatly for the monastery and built for it many buildings in Cairo, and he also established for the monastery a large garden surrounding it with an area of about 70 feddans, for which he purchased 5 water machines.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in Al-Keraza Magazine – Seventh Year (Issue Five), 30-1-1976.
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