On February 14, the diocese will solemnly observe the Fortieth Day Commemoration of the Nag Hammadi martyrs. His Grace Bishop Serapion has called upon all parish churches to remember the names of the blessed martyrs in their celebrations of the Divine Liturgy.
The names of the seven martyrs are as follows: Mina Helmy Said, Bishoy Farid Labib, Boula Atef Yassa, Ayman Zakaria Louka, Abanoub Kamal Nashed, and Rafik Refaat William.
Also, His Grace has released an audio message on the First Sunday of the Great Lent, the "Sunday of Treasures," in which he speaks about the example of these seven martyrs who laid not treasure for themselves on earth, but rather, in the Kingdom of Heaven.
On January 7, 2010, following the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity, six Coptic Orthodox Christians were martyred in a new wave of sectarian violence against Christians in Egypt. Three gunmen killed them with automatic weapons as they exited the church after the Divine Liturgy.
