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Bishop Thaofelos

Bishop Thaofelos

Was born on March 10, 1908, in El Rydanyh village from righteous parents, his father’s name Sadeq Banob and his mom’s name Hanna, which they fear God, his dad was in charge of St. Mary’s finance. God blessed them with

four children; the oldest is Abd elshaheed (Anba Thaofeles)Anba Thaofeles

His uncle was a priest and used to encourage him to go to church to serve with him all the time. His family owned a house next to the Ezbawya church in Cairo, and they used to go and spend

sometime there, once they visited the church and one of the monks, father Maximus el Soryany told her that your son does belong to us, she went home and kept the saying in her heart.

He was smart and graduated as mechanical engineer.

A monk visited the family home and spoke with them about the desert fathers the saints, so he loved to become a monk one day after that speech. He went to Anba Samoel monastery to become a monk, however his father found out and went after him after few days, he forced him to return home. Again he tried several times to go to Anba Samoel monastery but every time his father force him to go back home. His father want him to get marry so he choose a fiancé for him, but after the engagement, he decide to leave to el Sorian monastery this time and will not return back, he did; his father found out but this time he gave up and accepted the will of God, that his son will become a monk. His parents went to the holy land on 1936, she saw anba Thaofeles the bishop raising incense in the church she prayed to God saying “you choose my son to become a monk; I want to live to see him a bishop like anba Thaofeles”. In deed the Lord accepted her prayer and she lived to see him a bishop as she requested. He ordained monk, by the name of Thaofeles (meaning God lover)
Some monks envied him for his academic degree and holiness, but God always defended him. He was ordained priest. The abbot, father Maximus, sent him to the monks school in Cairo, he graduated on 1939. He was in charge of the monastery branch in el Ezbawya till 1947, he became hegomain on 1946. On July 7, 1948, Pope Usab II ordained him first bishop for el Sorian monastery. He was the first to allow the collage youth in the monastery to spend the holly week. He was the first to bring print shop equipment to the monastery; also he built new cells, water tank, sewer system, and place for youth to stay in when visiting the monastery to spend spiritual time, also built several homes in Cairo to increase the revenue. Several people heard him talking to Saint Mary and other Saints; he reposed in Christ on December 5, 1989. May his blessing be with us all.