Recognition of the Monastery of St. Abu Fana, Mallawi

Regarding the Monastery of St. Abu Fana the Hermit in Mallawi:

His Grace Bishop Demetrius, Bishop of Mallawi and Ashmounin, presented a report to the Committee, transferred from His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, on the Monastery of St. Abu Fana, in the western mountain of Mallawi (Mount Hor), asking for recognition of the restoration of monastic life to it, and the report shows the following:

1. The Archdiocese of Mallawi obtained the approval of the Antiquities Authority to restore the archaeological church (what remains of the archaeological monastery) at the expense of the Archdiocese, in 1987, and this was done.
2. A mission from one of the universities of Austria excavated the rest of the monastery for a period of 5 years, and discovered the remaining monuments.
3. The Archdiocese paved a road (mudug) the length of which was more than one kilometre, so that the monastery can be reached by car.
4. New buildings were created, for a new monastery, on the borders of the archaeological area, with full walls around the monks' area, which includes more than 50 cells, two churches, a monks' dining table and a library (to borrow books).
5. Adjacent to this building are other facilities such as mechanical workshops, a lighting machine, a visitors’ centre for senior [important] visitors, another for families of monks and brothers, and a third for public visitors, public toilets, a public kitchen, and another building for a baking oven.
6. The monastery has a regular monastic life under the supervision of His Grace Bishop Demetrius, Bishop of Mallawi, and is assisted by the priest-monk Bishoy Ava Mina, who spends half of his time there and half of his time in the Monastery of St. Mina. There are currently 5 monks in the monastery, who took the form temporarily on the Monastery of St. Mina in Mariout, with permission of His Holiness the Pope, 4 of whom were born in the Diocese of Mallawi, in addition to 5 monastic applicants, 15 residents of the retreat house with the intention of monasticism (under probation), and 4 residents of the monastery at schooling stage.
7. There is a curriculum for monastic applicants before joining the monastery.
8. That is why the Committee recommended the recognition of the return of monastic life to this monastery, and add it to the official monasteries recognised in our Church. The Holy Synod agreed to return monastic life to the monastery of St. Abu Fana the Hermit, in the western mountain of Mallawi (Mount Hor), under the supervision of His Grace Bishop Demetrius.