The life of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite

– He was born in the year 347 AD and became a monk in one of the Pachomian monasteries around the year 371 AD, and when Anba Begol departed in the year 385 AD, he was appointed head of the monastery of Jabal Adraiba, known by his name, that is, the monastery of Saint Shenouda, which is the white monastery…

– Saint Shenouda established a series of monastic laws similar to the laws of St. Pachomius, but they are more strict than St. Pachomius roles, and he developed them to suit his era, and according to the new needs dictated by the spiritual position occupied by the Coptic monasticism and the main role that it began to play in the life of the Church.

– He has exchanged letters with Pope Timothy I, the 22nd Patriarch (379-385 AD) from the patriarchs of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

– His extensive knowledge of the books of the Bible is evident in the many texts he quoted from or referred to it in his sermons, letters, and articles.

– Saint Shenouda was also educated in Greek literature and fluent in the Greek language.

– St. Shenouda had a warm Coptic heart and a preoccupied mind with matters of religion and piety, Saint Shenouda’s loved Coptic literature is not only due to the greatness of his original literary production in the Coptic language, Rather, it also indicates his interest in the translation work that he adopted and supervised in his monastery.

– Despite his practice of a life of loneliness… He used to meet with the masses, individuals, and groups, and open doors of the monastery for them on Saturdays and Sundays to attend masses, hear sermons, and solve individual problems.

– There are many references in his writings to the diversity of his pastoral activities.

– The works of mercy on the authority of Saint Shenouda are very numerous. He was famous for his advocacy of the oppressed, his care for the needy, and his distribution of bread and aid to help the poor and needy, especially at the height of prices during times of famine, when the Nubian Beja tribes invaded the neighboring districts and plundered them and enslaved their people around the year 450 AD.

– Saint Shenouda sought after them and extracted from them the captives, who numbered twenty thousand men, women, and children, and hosted them behind the walls of the White Monastery, and clothed the naked among them, and fed them for three months until their homes were reconstructed.

– He appointed seven doctors to treat the wounded and treat the sick. Fifty-two children were born to them during that period, and ninety-four of them died. He shrouded them and buried them, and at the end of the period, he sent them to their countries with all the supplies they needed.

– After Saint Shenouda lived for a long time, he departed in 465 AD.

– The Arabic translation of his biography gives us a list of the number of monks at his hands in his monastery, It talks about 2,200 monks, as well as 1,800 nuns in private homes for nuns under his care.