Coptic Sisters
Posted on 10. Oct, 2019, in Christian Values, Community, Feminism/Women in the Church, VocationComments Off on Coptic Sisters
Sr Gabriella and Sr Philomena in St George’s Abbey.
Sister Gabriella and Sister Philomena sometimes feel like they are living parallel lives.
They were both born in Cairo, Egypt and graduated from the American University of Cairo with masters degrees in economics and worked in the business world after graduation.
They have been friends from high school and unbeknownst to each other, both aimed to join the monastic life. With the guidance of their spiritual fathers they ended up entering the same Abbey, St George Convent at old Cairo Egypt, at 2009 & got consecrated as nuns in 2014.
On the 15th of July 2017, Sister Gabriella and Sister Philomena both arrived in Ireland to continue the establishment of the first ever Coptic Orthodox convent in Europe – St George Abbey, Delvin, Mullingar.
The Abbey currently holds liturgical services twice per week, daily midnight praises and the hourly prayers, beside meditation and reading the Holy bible and spiritual reading from the fathers of the church. It is also a place of retreat for many young girls/ladies from all over Europe and abroad. The nuns are active in the community in Delvin as well as at different counties in Ireland and are currently pursuing studies in Maynooth University.