Recognition of the Monestary of St. Thomas, Al-Khattaba

Request to recognise the Monastery of St. Thomas

The Committee examined the request submitted by His Grace Bishop Abram, entrusted with supervising the monastery, and this study showed the following:

1. His Grace Bishop Abram did a great job of spiritual and administrative supervision as he took the confessions of the monks, and he transferred the ownership of the lands and properties of the monastery to the name of His Holiness the Pope, as he is considered a patron of this monastery and the supreme Head of Coptic Orthodox monasticism. With the assistance of the monastery’s monks, he supervised the construction of the monastery buildings in Al-Khattaba farm and others, and the lands of the monastery are being registered in Al-Khattaba.
2. The proper arrangement is for the archaeological monastery in Saqqala to be the residence and centre of the monastery, given that it [Al-Khattaba] is surrounded by residential houses for the residents of the region, both Christians and non-Christians, which is not suitable for healthy monastic life for the congregation of monks.
3. The monastery has an area of 220 acres, most of which are planted, and around it are walls and a church for monks, a furnished building with twenty cells, and 80 other furnished cells, with a dining table, library and visitors’ centre.
4. There are 6 monks and 6 applicants of monasticism in the monastery.
5. The daily praises and Liturgies are practised regularly in the monastery.
6. The ownership of the land and buildings was transferred to the name of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
7. Approximately 14 of the Metropolitans and Bishops visited the monastery and they expressed their approval.

The Synod accepted the recommendation of the Monasteries Affairs Committee to recognise this monastery, and added it to the official monasteries with the continuation of the procedures for registering the land ownership contract and the rest of the monastery properties that have not yet been registered.