“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate – The Church of Alexandria

St. Mary & St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church
Reaching out to Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in NJ

Resources on Monasticism (Page 2)

St. Ammonius The Hermit

This week will be learning about St. Ammonius The Hermit, whose feast is on the 20th of Bashons. St. Ammonius was born in a village near Mariot in 294 A.D. to a righteous and rich Christian family. At a young age, St. Ammonius lost his parents and was taken in by his uncle. He longed…

St. Shenouda the Archimandrite

This week we will be learning about the life of St Shenouda, whose feast is on the 7th of Abib. From his early days as a young shepherd, St. Shenouda’s love for a deep and intimate life with God radiated brightly (literally). In one instance, as he was lifting his heart in prayer, a fellow…

St. John the Short

St. John Kolobos, commonly referred to as St. John the Short was a prominent desert father known for his obedience and wisdom. He was born in 339 AD to a poor but holy family and desired a monastic life from his early childhood years. When he was eighteen, he left his hometown and went to…

St. Sarah the Nun

It has been a tradition of St. Mary & St. Athanasius Church to remember the Desert Fathers & Mothers during the month of June. During the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing the stories and sayings of some of these influential ascetics. We will start off by sharing the story of St. Sarah…