The Late Metropolitan Maximus of Qalyubia






The Late Metropolitan Maximus of Qalyubia

1- Was born in April 1911, departed in May 1992. 

2- Joined the monastery when he was 21 years old. His mother saw a revelation that an angel is standing behind him so the family finally blessed the choice. His name was monk Angelos (Angel ) el Almuharraqe (the monastery of Almuharraq http://www.almuharraqmonastery.com/en/) in Asuit. 

3- In 1961 was he first priest sent to the Gulf area in Kuwait, which had the first church in the immigration land. 

4- One known story about him is that once the people in the church were fighting and the next day was a liturgy of Palm Sunday. He refused to pray the liturgy until they reconciled. 

5- In 1963 the Late Saint Pope Kyrillos the VI, met with the people in Qalyubia, in order to nominate for them Fr. Angelos to become a bishop. The people said "we do not have money to pay him" so Pope Kyrillos said "I am sending you a monk , a sandwich by three pences will feed him." He had no car so he would rent a carriage to visit the Christian homes. At the beginning, he had no place to stay, so he lived in a room in St. Mary Church in Banha (Qalyubia). 

6- Once a priest complained about three elderly men who sit together and gossip with a loud voice all the day, so he asked the priest if he could to see them. Metropolitan Maximus greeted them and said to them I have a project, can you help me to do it? They said "yes." He said I want an audio recording for the books of the Bible (at that time, there was no audio recording for the Bible) so they liked the idea and they started to record it, after a year they stopped gossiping. He was "containing" the people as Bishop Maximus who came after him said about him. 

7- He used to open his door at 6 am, and ask the bishop who is serving with him as assistant to read him the Bible, he would finish chapters and book, without stopping. If there were any visitors, he would welcome them, then ask them to read. 

8- The people would see him always mumbling by his lips praying all the day. 

9- He would ask a newly ordained priest , whom he ordained, to come and accept his confession, when the newly ordained priest would refuse by saying I am your son, I can not listen to your confession, he would insist and humbly ask the priest to accept his confession and then ask the priest to pray the absolution and to tell him " May God absolve you." He would not leave a sin inside him even a few minutes by doing that. 

10- In addition to all of these spiritual gifts he was speaking many languages and was very well educated. 

11- In 1992 he started to say "I want to go to my cell above," later he departed and the people understood that he was waiting to go to the heavenly places above. 




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