that is one of her nuns told me about father saw the priest here she sent me to this. i was drawn to father saw a man from the start so i said to him father i have never worked in stone. only thing i've ever made as a wooden decoration for a church in giza. and he said to me well why don't you give it a try meanwhile i've been giving it a try for twenty three years. in the one of the things that motivates me is that sculptural art isn't really prized in islamic countries. muslims regard me as an unbeliever because in their mind i carved idols into stone which i don't worship. i don't

really understand my art. is. in the beginning i couldn't make sense of the prayers of the coptic church i didn't even like the coptic church i only came here because i enjoyed being a teacher for the catholic church. but over time our lord opened my eyes to the coptic church once i understood the depth of this faith i began to appreciate it if the shaft you know you lived that the eastern churches are more profound than the western european churches. and now you have such strong faith. and every sentence that crosses their lips you will hear the word of god. yes.

shot of the liver at times in my life that i lived surrounded by rubbish does it by our lord to set me to it god knows best think about it you can see what has been made out of carbon all of it was made up by garbage collectors and i'm one of them why no one had me. most egyptian copts wear a small cross tattoo on their wrist as a visible mark of their face. as does come thick artist honey somewhere. with hundreds of churches in the city the icon painter and glass artist has more than enough work. yet this is the holy family with jesus mary and joseph depicted as a composite when they came to egypt. the background needs a few details that show there in egypt so we have the pyramids palm trees and the pharaoh nick temple. i always create

a design before i start cutting the glass and i design like this one. first i draw it in pencil then i trace it in black. then i change the compass so the virgin mary for example always wears blue first cops she represents the second haven't i never use only a single shade of blue i begin with the different types of glass that i work with for example i ask myself what the messiah should wear and then i begin choosing the colors i want to use. many developed cops are drawn to the small church of st mary and cairo site district. honey so juarez and his wife know how often come here with their son tony they have a deep. faith in the blessings of the virgin mary and the other saints. and

this is tell me. in nine hundred sixty eight the virgin mary appeared at this church it was april second a tuesday is that of the world you need to get done out of but there was a wonderful apparition on the dome and that's why this is a very special place for us that it's fact that before there long it was an amazingly beautiful apparition that's why this place is holy i mean. this week it's right. by. me. and to me also. we see where. the sites that will light. since. we're going to. special because flying very quickly at the end of them long as it heals the virgin performs

many miracles anyone who is sick who needs something receives her support ladder have media big you know i come here when i have a problem or i'm worried i tell her everything you mention and i pray and when i go home my heart is a peace that i feel her interceding in my life and taking care of my problems will help. and. i like most every cup to church there is a small shop with devotional objects including pictures of the coptic pope's and the saints. the current pope of the coptic orthodox church tawar draws the second also paid the church a visit while the catholic pope regards himself as successor of st peter the coptic pope sees himself as the inheritor of st mark. at the church of st simon overlooking the garbage city mari. leaves to attend

a community meeting. on the show that we're going to have a church option where there will be assembly. first roll first verse and then we'll sing coptic songs. that i mean. father samana has a sermon and after the sermon god willing there will be prayers the prayers can drive out the spirits and shot in our language we would call it an exorcism but it's not the how do you share thing. we look at. every thursday evening a group of believers gathers to listen to father some man's preaching. order over you. they include not just the gyptian copts but also parts from ethiopia as well as

muslims who believe in the priest's power to banish evil spirits. plus a lot of. the the sick come. they believe that the lord the messiah will heal them. we pray for them along the bible says lay your hands on the sick and they will be healed. and as we say at the very start of the gathering the gospel of our teacher mark has this same chapter sixteen he said unto them a little. go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation and with the well it believes it is baptized will be saved whoever does not believe will be condemned. most of the believes in his baptized will be saved whoever does not believe will be condemned. and these signs with a company those who believe in my name they will drive out demons is me they will

speak in new tongues when they pick up snakes with their hands or drink deadly poison it will not hurt them later when they lay their hands on the sick they will get well that is what the holy bible says we do not heal he heals we only act in accordance with his word was. those who believe they are possessed by evil spirits come to the front where the priest performs an exorcism. but there's a very last the word will be confirmed through science through miracles i'm not just saying that like is it it. will kill you know what proves it. is a miracle it was is it. the desert monasteries of wadi el not true are located about an hour's drive outside

cairo one of the best known is the center makarios monastery. makarios of egypt founded the monastery in the fourth century. america early years has been here for twenty two years before becoming a monk he studied engineering and architecture this is the fourth function was to save the monks life of the berbers. this windows are new the only and original entrance was on the second floor they were going up his in this third here then going in by this road bridge then they pulled the bridge like this that no one can follow them the walls are very thick about two meters thick they had a water well inside head start to crops enough for months had m.l. a big chapel on the third floor all of their needs that they keep inside the fort this building is from the twelfth century but it's replaced another one was from

the fifth century. the monastic cells are steeped in history. in mayan themes sixty lines and the monks number and this monastery was six months just six months now we are one hundred forty the number increased in these last four to nine years incredibly from six to one hundred forty and the same rate of growth is like there in all of the other monasteries to the monasteries and then honorees as well actually when somebody wants to join them one of three we have two conditions for him the first he has to finish his university the second he has finished his military service then he comes to them one of them want to see the elders meet him examine him if they found him sort of all for this life they permit him to be a novice inside of them honestly for three years for him to examine himself and also for the all the monks to examine. the end of this three years as if everything

is ok they are then him as among the stay of the monastery for the rest of his life . father carrillo tends to the library he was ordained just a few years ago before that he worked for a large market valuation company spending time in london and frankfurt for many his decision to join a monastery came as a surprise yes at the beginning people thought they were. doing good beautiful good . and even people in my company thought that he was. making this up feel true but he was approached and i'm supposed to. i think you reach a stage in with life when you realize that. or do they think that what is the disease money serves. is both a coincidence not to beliefs and so forth so short that it's in that would look for

. or used to come here on a variant on a few years. and i found in this want to see something very special for thirty quite enjoyed with the outpost with the monks from this is us. and. by being as it is from the word it through to tool to go back to fruits and to see what i will do in this whole. what's your purpose what's what's at first dislikes. this is gone the other think is. suddenly good it's more to offer something very specific the offer the fictitious fate and to speak the truth so to get the. full study would be there but for the wealthy that.

fridays sundays and holidays are traditional days for visitors to come to the monastery they come to pray and receive the monks blessings for many cops the monasteries are a full work of their faith and a spiritual guide. not far from the monastery of saint makarios another coptic community is staking out new ground. founded twenty years ago the ana for a retreat is a place where laypeople and clerics of all faiths can come together in contemplation and prayer. the retreat also serves as a training ground for social engagement. to end the communal religious services are held according to coptic tradition the.

here to the service conducted after easter features a celebrate tory procession through the church bishop thomas who founded the retreat is still its driving force the. i tell you that we are like a truly a train that has very good results. and this roots is very strong we are very much coptic orthodox church we are very much into the more gnostic tradition which we feel very proud of but at the same time look at a tree if that's his first home game their rules they would have their branches or this branches that's everywhere every birth was common to that and this is not just france for the tree that's for you has it's all in the. rules and

that's why we are very much secure the holy are and we are all can talk about the whole words. and a forum has also established a program for young coptic women from the bishop's diocese the initiative aims to empower the young women who come from a community and society that places many barriers in their way many have come from very poor families where their own needs take a back seat but on a fora they enjoy a rare opportunity to be front and center on a good knock out for how to give them. what they want that. many women who lives in egypt they feel like to live in maid to meet the society this is normal this is something used to have to live with this for a long time and a feeling this is very very you know so i would work together here in this program is for the next say that we want to to lead them to take out of this traumas of

this suffering of their life so we work on different levels we work on their. own their values song that they are valuable you i'd avoid the to be something to be a different person as a society we make this transformation in their in their lives. and how come when we see the needs of the people and we don't act i think there is enough resources in the whole awards it's only that we don't see other people. we pay a visit to the village of el or south of cairo in february twenty fifteen twenty one young men were killed in.