The Monk and Hegomen – Father Antonious El Souriany

Name at birth:  Samir Atallah Wasif

Date of birth:  15/9/1948

Place of birth:  Sauhag

His personal identification number and the place where it was issued:  10084 – Sueiss

His degree:  Bachelor’s degree in Clerical and Theological studies

His job prior to monasticism:  A clerical expert

His father of confession prior to monasticism:  Father Michael Ibrahim

The nature of his church services prior to monasticism:  A Sunday school servant at a church in Kafr El Sheik

The date on which he arrived at the monastery:  2/4/1976

The date on which he was ordained as a postulant at the monastery:  4/1976

The date on which he was ordained as a monk:  25/7/1976

The date on which he was ordained as a priest:  26/3/1978

The date on which he was ordained as Hegomen:  3/1/1983

His father of confession at the monastery:  The monk and Hegomen, Fr. Metaous El Souriany

His duties throughout the monastery:  Preparation of meals for the monastery’s guests.  He also prepared the meals for the monastery’s monks, and he was also responsible for the monastery’s retreat house.

His services outside of the monastery:  He served at the Mahala Kobra Diocese, the Ezbawiyah (the monastery’s headquarters in Cairo), and he was also responsible for the Didamus College.

On Friday the seventeenth of June of the year 2016, at 1:30 P.M., our beloved Father, Hegomen Antonious El Souriany departed to heaven at the age of 72 years.  He spent 41 years in the life of monasticism and he led a very virtuous life.  He was unique for his strong relationship with the saints, as well as his life of prayer.  Fr. Antonious also had a glorious and a heavenly chanting voice.  

The funeral prayers on behalf of his pure soul took place at 6:00 P.M. on the evening of the same day.  The prayers were led by the following clergy: His Grace Bishop Metaous – Bishop and Abbott of El Sourian Monastery, His Grace Bishop Sarabamoun – Bishop and Abbott of St. Bishoy’s Monastery, His Grace Bishop Abifanyos – Bishop and Abbott of Abo Makar’s Monastery, His Grace Bishop Domadious – Bishop of the city of 6 October, His Grace Bishop Peter – Bishop of North Carolina (the United States of America), His Reverence – Fr. Angelos El Anthony, and many other monks from the monastic council and from the neighbouring monasteries. 

May God repose his soul in the Paradise of joy, and may God sustain us, just as He sustained him.  May God support us throughout our days as sojourners on this earth, so that we too may have a part in the heavenly inheritance, along with the angels and the saints.