Pishoy of Scetis ( Coptic: ''Abba Pišoi'';

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Ὅσιος Παΐσιος ὁ Μέγας; 320 – 417 AD), known in the

Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...

as the ''Star of the Desert'' and the ''Beloved of our Good Savior'', was a Coptic

Desert Father The Desert Fathers or Desert Monks were early Christian hermits and ascetics, who lived primarily in the Scetes desert of the Roman province of Egypt, beginning around the third century AD. The is a collection of the wisdom of some of the ea ...

. He is said to have seen

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

, and been bodily preserved to the present day via

incorruptibility Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their ...

at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in the Nitrian Desert,

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. He is venerated by the

Oriental Orthodox Churches The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...

and the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

es, and is known in the latter under the Greek version of his name, Paisios.

Life

Saint Bishoy was born in 320 AD in the village of Shansa (Shensha or Shesna), currently in the

ian governorate of Al Minufiyah. Younger to six other brothers, he was weak and frail. His mother saw an

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

in a vision asking her to give God one of her children, and pointed at Bishoy. When the mother tried to offer one of her stronger children, the angel insisted that Bishoy was the chosen one. At the age of twenty, Bishoy went to the wilderness of

Scetes Wadi El Natrun (Arabic: "Valley of Natron"; Coptic: , "measure of the hearts") is a depression in northern Egypt that is located below sea level and below the Nile River level. The valley contains several alkaline lakes, natron-rich salt de ...

and became a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

by the hand of

Saint Pambo Saint Pambo (also known as Pemwah and Bemwah - Όσιος Παμβώ in Greek) (died c. 375) is a Coptic Desert Father of the fourth century. Saint Pambo is venerated by the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roma ...

, who also ordained Saint John the Dwarf a monk. When

died, Bishoy was guided by an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

to the site of the present Monastery of Saint Bishoy, where he lived the life of a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

. At this time, he became the spiritual father of many monks who gathered around him. He was famous for his love, wisdom, simplicity and kindness, as well as for his extremely ascetic life. He was also known to love seclusion and quietness. Bishoy's asceticism was harsh to the extent of tying his hair and hands with a rope to the ceiling of his cell, in order to resist sleeping during his night prayers. This asceticism made him so famous that he was visited by Saint Ephrem the Syrian. The

Copt Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Co ...

s believe that Bishoy saw

a number of times. When Bishoy's brethren learned that Jesus was coming, they gathered at the top of a mountain so that they might see him. On the way, they met an old man that asked these monks to help him on his way but they ignored him. Bishoy saw the man and carried him on his shoulders, only to discover that the old monk was none other but Christ himself. The latter told him that, for the extent of his love, his body will not see corruption. The

s also believe that Bishoy washed the feet of Jesus who visited him as a poor stranger. Bishoy is known as a defender of Orthodox faith against heresies. Having heard of an ascetic in the mountain of Ansena who taught that there was no Holy Spirit, Bishoy went to him carrying a weaved basket with three ears. When the old man asked him about the reason for making three ears for a basket, Bishoy replied "I have a Trinity, and everything I do is like the Trinity". After much debate from the Scriptures, the Old and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

s, the old ascetic reverted to Orthodoxy.

Departure and relics

In 407/408 AD, as the Mazices invaded the wilderness of

, Bishoy left and dwelt in the mountain of Ansena. At this time, he met Saint Paul of Tammah in Antinoöpolis and the two became very close friends. While at the mountain of Ansena, Bishoy built another monastery, the monastery of Saint Bishoy at Dayr al-Barsha, which still stands today near Mallawi. Bishoy departed on 8

Epip Epip ( cop, Ⲉⲡⲓⲡ), also known as Epiphi ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφί, ''Epiphí'') and Abib. ( ar, أبيب), is the eleventh month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between July 8 and August 6 of the Gregorian calendar. The ...

(July 15) 417 AD. On December 13, 841 AD (4

Koiak Koiak (; cop, Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ, []), also known as Choiak ( grc-gre, Χοιάκ, ''Khoiák'') and Kiyahk. ( cop, Ⲕⲓⲁϩⲕ, ''Kiahk'', []; ar, كياك or ), is the fourth month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between ...

Pope Joseph I of Alexandria Saint Joseph I of Alexandria (Abba Yousab), 52nd Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He was the son of one of the rich nobles of Menouf, Egypt. After his parents died, some believers raised him. As an adult, he gave most ...

fulfilled the desire of Saint Bishoy and moved his body (as well as that of Saint Paul of Tammah) to the Monastery of Saint Bishoy in the wilderness of

. It is said that they first attempted to move the body of Saint Bishoy only, but when they carried it to the boat on the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...

, the boat would not move until they brought in the body of Saint Paul of Tammah as well. Today, the two bodies lie in the main church of the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Bishoy in the Natroon Desert. Eyewitnesses recount that the body of Saint Bishoy remains in an allegedly incorruptible state to this day.

Monastic namesakes

There are currently three monasteries in

that carry the name of Saint Pishoy: * The Monastery of Saint Bishoy at the Nitrian Desert * The Monastery of Saint Bishoy at

Deir el-Bersha Deir El Bersha ( ar, دير البرشا; also written as Dayr al-Barsha, Deir el-Bersheh) is a Coptic village in Middle Egypt, in the Minya Governorate. It is located on the east bank of the Nile to the south of Antinoöpolis and almost opposit ...

, near Mallawi * The Monastery of Saint Bishoy at Armant, east of Armant The

Red Monastery The Red Monastery () or The Monastery of Apa Psoi () is a Coptic Orthodox monastery named after an Egyptian saint called Psoi () or Pishoy () (who is not to be confused with the famous Saint Pishoy). It is located near the Upper Egyptian city of ...

near Souhag is also named after an Egyptian saint called Bishay. This saint is not to be confused with Saint Bishoy.

References

Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium (Book of Saints)

Bishoy from stmaryscopticorthodox.ca

External links

Saint Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
{{Coptic saints 320 births 417 deaths Saints from Roman Egypt Angelic visionaries 5th-century Christian saints People from Monufia Governorate