The Virgin Mary in the Doctrine of the Church
The Feasts of the Virgin
On the 21st of Toba, we commemorate her departure. Yet, we do not stop there—for on the 21st day of every Coptic month, we also celebrate the Virgin Mary, for she is the Mother of us all…
But we do not only celebrate the Virgin on the day of her departure; we also celebrate her on the day of her birth (the 1st of Bashans). Moreover, we celebrate her on the day of the Annunciation by the angel of her birth (the 7th of Mesra). For the birth of the Virgin marks the beginning of the story of salvation—it is the day when the pure vessel was chosen, in whom God the Word would dwell in the fullness of time and from whom He would be incarnate.
We also celebrate the Virgin on the 3rd of Kiahk, in commemoration of her entrance into the Temple; and on the 24th of Bashans, in remembrance of her entry into our land, Egypt. On the 16th of Mesra, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin’s body into heaven. And on the 21st of Baouna, we celebrate her feast marking the building of the first church in her name (in the city of Philippi).
The Holy Synod has also decreed that we celebrate the Virgin on the 2nd of April, in commemoration of her apparition and manifestation over the domes of the Virgin Church in Zeitoun.
The Fast of the Virgin
The Church has sanctified a two-week fast in the name of the Virgin Mary, during which the faithful observe strict asceticism, followed by the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin (22nd of August). During this period, spiritual revival meetings are held in all churches bearing the name of the Virgin Mary.
Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine – Year Ten – Issue Twenty-Five – June 22, 1979
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