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2100 W. Frontage Rd. • P.O. Box 337 • Palatine, IL 60078 www.stmarychicago.com Issue 9,10 September / October 2011 H e was born in Kellin of the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. He was a brave, friendly soldier loved by all in his squad. Diocletian who was the governor at that time, issued a decree stating that those who would not worship the idols would be sentenced to death. Unlike the rest of his squad Abiskhairoun refused to worship the idols, and deserted the army, so they imprisoned him. In prison, he was savagely tortured, so an angel appeared to strengthen him. He was lashed with a leather whip with nails to cut through the skin. He was tied to a horse, and dragged around the city. They poured melted lead on his body. They put him on an iron bed on top of fire. However, the Lord was always by his side to lessen his pain and relieve his agony. When all those means of torture failed to make him deny his faith, the governor gave orders to decapitate him, and was crowned by martyrdom on the 7th of Baouna. The Miracle of moving the Church In the village of Kellin, it was customery to hold multiple marriage ceremonies, during the harvest season. One year as more than a hundred people were attending the wedding of seven couples in St. Abiskhairoun church, in Kellin, Governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh. A group of idol worshipers were angered by this event, so they surrounded the church and decided to kill everybody there. That night a great miracle happened, as the church and the congregation inside, were miraculously relocated to the village of El-Bayoho, which was 5 Kilometers south of Samalout, north of the city of (El- Minya). In the morning when the congregation exited the church, they were baffled to see that they were in a place else than Kellin. They prayed to the Lord through the intercession of St. Abiskhairoun, to help them. A man, whom they could not recognize, appeared and offered to help by providing a sailboat that transported them back to Kellin. After the man disappeared, they realized that it was St. Abiskhairoun. Mahragan Al-Keraza ayrouz is a Persian word meaning “New Year”. Nayrouz Feast refers to the celebration held at the beginning of the Coptic New Year. The Coptic calendar, started in (284 A.D.) That was the year in which the tyrant Roman Emperor Diocletian started his reign of terror. He savagely persecuted the Christians of Egypt. He ordered that they be thrown to hungry beasts, cover their bodies with oil, set them on fire while hanging from poles and used as street lights. The main purpose of the celebration is to keep alive the memory of the early Martyrs whose blood was shed for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. This year, our Sunday school classes celebrated the event on Sunday, September 11th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., by performing different acts related to the occasion. The celebration ended on Monday, Thout 1st. (September 12th), which is the beginning of the Coptic New Year, 1728 A.D. This year the St. Mark Festival or Mahragan Al-Keraza competition theme was “Christ Is Our Life”. The children covered a wide range of topics that focused on this theme. They studied how we see Christ in many of the areas of the sacramental, liturgical and educational life in the Church. 65 of our children participated in the spiritual and the sport activities of the Mahragan and won 22 prizes at the regional competition. But more than this, all 65 of our children learned so many new things about our Lord Jesus Christ. The total participants from all Churches of the region are about 305 person. The Nayrouz Feast The Nayrouz Feast N D ue to the untolerable situation of the Christians in Egypt, as they are going through trying times, and withstanding agonizing atrocities, St. Mary church in Chicago holds Divine Liturgy services on Tuesday, October 11, through Friday October 14, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. We pray that the Lord be with our brothers and sisters, and to make peace prevail in Egypt, our homeland. “Martyrdom is the story behind preaching the Gospel to the whole World. The Christian faith has spread by the bloodshed more than by preaching and teaching.” The Late Abba Youannis, Bishop of Gharbia St. Abaskhayron, El-Kelliny on this day we commemorated the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, when a group of terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the very symbols of America’s financial and military security, a solid proof of its success and greatness. The Coptic American Community share the pain and sorrow of those who perished on that day, and we pray that the Lord bless America and keep it prosperous and safe as the beacon of liberty and freedom. September 11th 2011 Congratulations to our Soccer teams grades 3-6 and 7-11 they won the first place in Mahragan Al-Keraza(MAK) Soccer competition this summer. And won 22 prizes at the regional competition. Great Job. Pray without Ceasing The Martyr Abiskhairoun El-Kelliny
