Bishop Bicenti of Helwan and Al-Ma’asra Laid to Rest

Gerges Mounir Hanna – OCP News Service – 05/03/2024

Cairo – Egypt: Funeral prayers were held for the late Bishop Bicenti of Helwan and Al-Ma’asra, on March 04,2024 , at the funeral was held in the Patriarchate of St. Mark the Great in Abbasiya – Cairo. He peacefully passed away on March 03,2024. The funeral prayers were presided over by H.H. Pope Tawadros II.

Short Bio:

His Eminence was born on June 8, 1941 AD.  In the village of Al-Ikhsas, Helwan (Al-Saff, Giza), Egypt.  He was born with the name Fouad Awad Orban Awad. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Cairo University in 1962, and a master’s degree in biochemistry in 1969. He worked as a researcher at the Agricultural Research Center in Dokki for about eight years.

He served in the Church of Anba Anthony in Shubra, and in the Church of Abu Seifin as well. He went into monasticism in the monastery of Abu Makar Al-Amer for a period and took the name of the monk Bisanti Al-Maqari, then he transferred from the monastery of Abu Makar to the monastery of Anba Bishoy on August 28, 1971 AD, taking the name of the monk Bisanti Anba Bishoy.

He was ordained a priest on November 12, 1972. He was appointed curator of Anba Bishoy Monastery in 1973. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III appointed him to supervise the Church of the Virgin in Garden City in 1974. Then he became spiritual supervisor at the Clerical College in 1975 AD. He was assigned to teach at Saint Mark’s College in Alexandria in 1975.

He was promoted to hegumen before his travel at the hands of Pope Shenouda III, and that was before his travel for pastoral work in the Church of St. George and Bishop Shenouda in Jersey City, America (Preaching Magazine, Sixth Year, Friday, July 25, 1975 (Aviv 18, 1691 A.M.)) – Issue 30, p. 2.  )

His Holiness the Pope sent him to serve in America and Canada in 1977. He then appointed him as his private secretary in November 1980. He was ordained a bishop for the Diocese of Helwan, Al-Ma’asara, Al-Tabin, and May 15, Cairo, Egypt, on June 22, 1986 AD.

During the pontificate of Pope Shenouda III, he was in the following committees of the Holy Synod: the Church Relations Committee – the Care and Service Committee – the Rituals Committee.  .  He served the diocese with every activity and other activities and took care of the architecture of the Monastery of Anba with the drawings of the Arian, the service of the consecrated women, and the spiritual and social service in the diocese.

Due to some health conditions that have afflicted His Eminence for years, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II issued 118 papal decrees to regulate the pastoral and administrative situation in the diocese.  An explanation of the decision came in the Pope’s sermon on December 28, 2022 AD.

Source: Coptic Orthodox Church

OCP News Service