Saint Athanasius
Coptic Orthodox Church
Anba Ammonius, Bishop of Esna, was martyred for his faith. He was extremely well mannered since a young age and his virtues were well known. Anba Peter, Pope of Alexandria, ordained him a bishop over the city of Esna. Because of his strong desire for a solitary life, he built a monastery at the foot of the mountain beside a spring of water. He prepared a cave for his stay all week and went down to church on Saturday. He served the Holy liturgy, met with his people, preached to them and settled their disputes. He spent Monday with them also, then returned to his cave to continue his worship and asceticism.
During his lifetime, many of his people were martyred. When Arianus the infidel went to upper Egypt, on his way he persecuted Christians, he ordered them to worship idols and those who refused were tortured and slain. He continued doing that until he reached Esna, where he met four young men driving asses loaded with melons. One of the governor's soldiers asked them about their belief. They answered, "We are Christians," so they seized them. When their mother knew what happened, she went in haste to encourage them saying to the soldiers, "We love Jesus Christ and do not worship your despicable idols." The governor ordered that she be cast into prison. In the middle of the night the Virgin, St. Mary, appeared to this mother and told her, "Know that my Son the Savior and the Lord has called you and your blessed sons Sarous, Herman, Banouf and Bistay to the kingdom of heaven." St. Mary bid her peace then ascended to heaven. The next morning the governor summoned them and asked them to worship the idols but they refused courageously. As a result, he ordered that their heads be cut off, so they received their martyrdom on the sixth day of the month of Baounah. Many were martyred along with them, women, men and monks.
When Arianus went to Armunt, two women from Esna went there and confessed Christ before him. Arianus addressed the people of Armunt around him and said, "Why did you say that there were no Christians in your city?" They investigated and found out that the two women were from Esna. They went to Arianus and told him that they were strangers and that they did not belong to their city which loved the emperors and the gods (idols). Arianus ordered their heads to be cut off, and that was on the seventeenth day of the month of Abib.
As to St. Ammonius, the angel of the Lord appeared to him when he was in the desert and told him, "Hail to you Ammonius, the Lord accepted your prayers on behalf of your people and prepared crowns for you. Arise, go down and preach to them and instruct them to be steadfast in confessing the Lord Christ." The angel bid him peace and departed.
The saint arose and went down immediately to the city. He gathered the people, preached to them and informed them of what the angel told him. They all cried out saying, "Our father, we are ready to withstand any suffering in the Name of the Lord Christ, even unto death." That took place on the feast of St. Isaac, so he took his people up to the Mount of Katoun, which means the mount of good things, to celebrate the feast there.
Arianus departed from Armunt to a village called Helwan, west of Esna. All its citizens came out and confessed the Name of Christ before him. He ordered them to be beheaded and they received the crown of martyrdom. Then Arianus entered Esna and wandered in its streets which were empty until he came to the southern gate which is called the gate of thanksgiving, because Anba Ammonius had prayed there with his people, the prayers of Thanksgiving. There he found an infirm old woman who was left behind because she could not go up the mountain with them. He asked her about the whereabouts of the people of the city. She replied, "The people heard that the infidel governor was coming to slay the Christians; so they went up to the mountain to celebrate the feast of Isaac before they faced martyrdom." He asked her which one of the gods she worshipped. She replied, "I am a Christian," and she was immediately beheaded.
As to the bishop, Anba Ammonius, they seized him and
brought him before Arianus, and in rage he ordered the saint to be tied
behind the horses on their way to the boat which was sailing to St.
Aswan. They threw him on the stern of the ship. Arianus brought him
out every now and then and asked him to raise the incense before the
idols but the saint refused. Finally he ordered his men to burn the saint
who received the crown of martyrdom on the fourteenth day of Kiahk.
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