Tamav Erene,
Mother Superior of the convent of ST.Philpater
Mercurius in Old Cairo organized life inside the convent,
according to the Pachomain Koinonia, the rules set by ST.
Pachomius (292-348 AD) the founder of
the communal life of monks and nuns, a neglected copy off
which she found in the convent library. In addition to organizing the spiritual life of her
daughters, She also eapanded the convent, one of the most
significant additions being the church dedicated to ST.Mercurius,
known among Egyptian Christiana as aqbi Seifein.
Mother Eene popularised St.Philopater anong copts. In this
sense, she is often compared with Pope Kyrillos VI whose name
became associated with the Egyptian martyr, ST.mena. On Abi
Seifein`s feasts... she used to speak to thousands of Christians
about the miracles that were performed with the prayers of the
petron saint of the convent.
In her weekly meetings, which took place on fridays
until just a few years before her death, Tamav erene would
speak of heaven in a way that brought hope and consolation to
her listeners. Her message and vocation attracted many.....
Like ST.Syncletica (400 AD) Mother Erene came from a
wealthy family, though she renounced worldly treasures
opting for a life of voluntary poverty, following her
consecration as a nun on 26 Ocotber 1954.
St. Sycletica and other desert mothers contributed to the
extraodinary development of monasticism during the fourth
and fifth centuries. They established a tradition equal to that
of the desert fathers and attracted many disciples and
listeners, male and female. The teachings of these mothers
focus mainly on the life of vigil,prayer,fasting and struggling, purity of heart, voluntary poverty,
solitude and stillness.
Tamav Irene`s words tackle many of the same issues; like the
ascetic literature left by these mothers and fathers, her
sayings represent the fruit of her ''personal labour and struggle''
Tamav Irene`s life was also a living
example of the forbearance of pain. For
more than twenty-five years she suffrerd
from various kinds of illness which she bore
with gratitude and joy. Thus,her life and
heritage echoed those of the Christian
celibates and female saints who lived
during the different centuries.
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