Renewal of the Monastery of Saint Macarius

1969 · Modern revival

Pope Cyril VI sends Fr. Matta El Meskeen with twelve monks to revive the nearly abandoned Monastery of Saint Macarius in Wadi al-Natrun. Under his leadership the community grows from six elderly monks to about one hundred and thirty, shaping the course of modern Egyptian monasticism.

Why it matters for the language — A living continuation of the desert-monastic world where Coptic prayer is chanted daily.

Date: 1969
Era: Modern revival

PeopleMatta El Meskeen

PlacesMonastery of Saint Macarius the Great