A Spring in Sinai: Hieromartyr Mina Abood

On July 6, 2013, Father Mina Abood was martyred. In this book, you will follow along the mere thirty-eight-year-long journey spent by this honored presbyter on the earth. It begins with his early life and humble beginnings as a servant in his home-city of Aswan, and later in the suburbs of bustling Cairo. It then proceeds to describe his mysterious call to the priesthood in war-torn Sinai. The compelling story culminates in a valorous witness to the Christian faith, and a brutal, yet triumphant, martyrdom. But the story does not end there, as you become acquainted with the esteem that the Lord God holds for His martyrs, manifested in the events following Father Mina's death. The hope is that all may be encouraged to model the resilient faith of this contemporary martyr, who persistently emphasized, "My true home is in heaven."

The author, Anthony Marcos, was personally commissioned to write and compile the biography of one of the Coptic Orthodox Church's most contemporary martyrs by his own blessed family. He explains: In the summer of 2019, I travelled to Egypt and took the blessing of visiting Sister Mariam Milad Eskander, the wife of Father Mina Abood Sharobeem, who gained the crown of martyrdom on Saturday, July 6, 2013 in the city of Al Arish in North Sinai. I had the privilege of interviewing Sister Mariam for several hours, compiling valuable first-hand accounts about the life of Father Mina. She tasked me with compiling his story for the first time into English. Sister Mariam agreed to have this work published in the United States for the benefit of those in the lands of immigration.  Anthony Marcos is a Coptic Orthodox student, pursuing his studies in dentistry and oral medicine. He takes great interest in encountering and recording the lives and biographies of contemporary Orthodox saints. He spends much time in Egypt, where he has gained inspiration under the discipleship of his mentors and spiritual guides, Hegumen Father Raphael Abba Mina, and the late Schema monk Father Zosima Abba Mina; they have joyously encouraged him to pursue these undertakings. He is currently enrolled in the Saint Athanasius Theological Seminary, under the auspices of H.E Metropolitan Youssef, Metropolitan of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States.