Not one Coptic Christian home does not know the significance of 2 April. Almost every family in Egypt knows at least one person who says that they witnessed the most popular apparition of the Virgin Mary in Egypt. In many Egyptian homes, whether Christian or Muslim, you may find black and white photographs depicting the most memorable sight of the Virgin Mary in the 20th century: her apparition in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Cairo. Following the Six Day War in 1967, Egyptians received a message of hope at a time of darkness and turmoil. On 2 April 1968, mechanics of the garage facing the church reportedly saw a woman standing on top of the Virgin Mary Church’s dome in Zeitoun. They called out to her, begging her not to jump, and ran to notify the late Father Constantine Moussa, who was the church priest at the time. As more people gathered, the audience realized this was no ordinary woman, shining bright and luminous. Egyptian authorities conducted investigations to confirm the sightings. On 5 May 1968, Pope Kyrillos VI, the 116th Pope of Alexandria, issued a statement announcing the authenticity of…
2 April 1968: a Blessed Day for Millions of Coptic Christian Egyptians
April 2, 2022
