Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Devotion to Mary in Assiut, Egypt

by Hamada Elrasam

   Every August, tens of thousands of Egypt's Coptic Christians and
   Egyptian Muslims take buses and trains to the Virgin Mary Monastery in
   Assiut. This year, Muslims were banned from attending the event by the
   Egyptian authorities. The monastery is believed to have been visited by
   the Holy family when they fled Israel out of fear of persecution by
   King Herod.