Books published by St Shenouda Press

History tells of political and social unrest in Egypt around the time of President Anwar Sadat n 1981. President Sadat exiled His Holiness Pope Shenouda to the monastery of St Bishoy on 3 September 1981. What followed was the imprisonment of several Bishops and laymen without justifiable cause in what became a very unsettled time in Egypt.The conditions of their imprisonment were abominable. They were subjected to horrid living standards and psychological warfare from their guards and interrogators.This book recounts a translation of extracts from the personal memoirs from people who were with His Holiness Pope Shenouda and Bishop Beimen as well as accounts from Bishop Benyamin, Father Boules Basili and Father Youssef Asaad.It relays very personal and moving accounts of human emotions which they experienced during these tumultuous times. The extracts also tell of their faith, the power of prayer and their own experience of God's guiding hand to marshal their release.

The book of Job is regarded as one of the wisdom books found in the Old Testament, fit for all times and all people. It speaks of the sufferings of a blessed man by the name of Job who has to deal with many tribulations as well as the accusations of his friends. In all this, Job maintains his love for God even though he loses patience with his sufferings and challenges the command of God towards the end of the book.It can be a very confusing book due to the many different characters and the excessive dialogue but the message is still made very clear and the book is very easily relatable to as a result. In these final chapters the Lord, who had been silent throughout the trials of Job previously, speaks up and questions Job regarding the secrets of the universe to which Job has no response.God, in the midst of Job's anguish, revealed Himself to him to show that He is the one in charge and Job, being the weak human that he is, will not understand why God is dealing with him in this way. In this manner, Job is a character that we can very easily relate to as we learn how to deal with pain and misery in the world while we continue in our spiritual struggle and trying to keep faith in God.At times when it feels like we've hit rock bottom it may be hard to see God working in our lives but as we learn through the life of Job, it's the times that are darkest when God chooses to reveal His light.

St Annasimone was the daughter of the King of Constantinople in the seventh century. Following the death of her father, she assumed the throne. Despite the riches and honour which she had as Queen, her heart longed for something greater. Her strong desire to live for the Lord forced her to leave the kingdom and run to the wilderness. After living in humiliation amongst the nuns of a convent, her holiness was revealed and so she escaped and lived the rest of her life as a hermit. Her story is a great example of someone who denied themselves and followed the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. She loved reading the stories of the saints as a child, and so followed their example all her life. St Annasimone the Hermit Queen, told through the eyes of her spiritual father, will encourage young readers to seek God wholeheartedly and enjoy reading about the saints, as did she!

Do you have a longing in your heart for holiness, for sanctification, for purification, for a greater conformity to the image God? St Paul writes that to achieve this we must not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This book will take you on a journey of spiritual transformation as St Paul wrote about it in his letters. This spiritual transformation is not only in the way we pray or behave in church but, as this book highlights, it involves all aspects of our daily life so that we may be able to do His good, pleasing and perfect will.

While there are few books that recounts the history of the Coptic church before the council of Chalcedon there are not many that talk about the period after the council and before and after the Arab conquest and the political turmoil of the time and how all this affected the church.This book consists of a serious of lectures by the late bishop Youanis (1923 - 1987) bishop of Garbia which he delivered at the theological college in Cairo in the early sixties. This book narrates the history of the Coptic Church during a dark but very important period of her history. In this book bishop Youanis not only highlights the important events from 451 until the late 1200s but he also points out important personalities that had a positive impact on the church in their time.

A Friend From Heaven encourages young children to develop relationships with saints. This story of Pope Kyrillos shows how he depended on his heavenly friend St Mina to help him whenever he needed him. Like Pope Kyrillos we can call on our saints to intercede for us when we are in need. A Friend From Heaven encourages young children to develop relationships with saints. The purpose of this book is to encourage children to develop meaningful relationships with the saints. As you read through, encourage your child to think of ways in which they can communicate with their patron saint. Reading stories like this is one way. However other ways include: singing hymns, colouring in their pictures, decorating their icons, and discussing their virtues.Ask your child whether they have ever been faced with a situation in which they needed a saint's help. Explain that when we love the saints and develop relationships with them, they are always near us.

Ever wondered why during the Holy Lent that we read particular Gospel readings? Or why the Coptic Orthodox church fasts more than 40 days? What should the lent fasting mean to me personally?The Great Lent and Me, by Fr Bishoy Kamel, takes you on a week-by-week journey of each Sunday Gospel read during the Great Lent.Each chapter of this book Fr Bishoy contemplates on a different theme of the Gospel readings that will guide you in your own spiritual journey and explains how it can transform your life.