With a firm hope in our Savior’s Resurrection from the dead, the Diocese announces the departure of the Reverend Hegumen Father Bishoy Gobreial on Sunday, September 14, 2014. He is the first presbyter who was assigned to the Diocese’s first parish, St. Mark Church in Los Angeles.
Father Bishoy was born in Egypt in 1928 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Agricultural Sciences from Cairo University in 1951, and a diploma in Biology. He worked as a teacher in horticulture landscaping for many years. He came to the U.S.A. in 1970 and was a Sunday School teacher at St. Mark Church in Los Angeles. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III ordained him on February 18, 1979 to serve at Saint Mark Church in Los Angeles. His promotion to the priestly rank of Hegumen occurred on October 29, 1989. In addition to his service at St. Mark, he was instrumental in planting seeds for parishes in Bellflower, San Fernando Valley, West Covina, Santa Monica, Torrance, Fresno, Bakersfield, Las Vegas and Honolulu, and more over the past 25 years.
He is universally remembered as an exceedingly kind and gentle soul who was faithful in his service, a model servant and priest to all whose lives were touched by him.
Today, having completed his good strife, he departed into eternal rest to hear the words of our Savior, “Well done, good faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of your Lord!” May his memory be eternal!
Schedule
The current schedule for events relating to Fr. Bishoy’s memorial and funeral mystery is as follows (subject to confirmation and change):
Monday, September 15 and Tuesday, September 16
- Condolences received by the family at St. Mark Church from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 17
- Evening Raising of Incense, Receiving the Blessing of the Body, and Midnight Praises from 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Thursday, September 18
- Divine Liturgy from 8:00-10:30 a.m.
- Funeral Service from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Burial at Holy Cross Cemetery at 1:00 p.m.
