The Church of the Catacombs in El Minya, Egypt
The Church of the Catacombs in El Minya, Egypt [i] HG Bishop Macaruis in one of the burned churches in El Minya The congregation of El Minia underwent a very unique experience this week. They gathered to pray the Holy Liturgy yesterday and today in two churches that faced complete burning, destruction and looting. It looked like the churches of the Catacombs in Rome, where the believers there gathered and supported one another in the first three centuries, where the first Christians prayed beside the tombs with the stench of death surrounding them yet did not alienate them as much it attracted them more to the life to come. Thus we were praying the liturgy while we are surrounded by the remnants of the burnt things, and the smell of fire filled our noses, as the smoke had not yet gone out from some places. We saw each other with difficulty, and the place was very close to the tombs. We agreed with the fathers the night of the liturgy that the number should be limited