Stories & Legends
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First Fruit of the Holy Family’s
Flight to Egypt
Tradition narrates that when the Holy Family fled to Egypt, they made a short stay in Bir Sahaba, and then crossed the Nile at al-Roda to reach the city of Ashmounin, a prosperous city on the west bank of the Nile.
The Divine Child and His Mother worked many signs and wonders there. There was, for example, a high ficus tree there that was inhabited by a demon and worshiped by the pagans. When the Child Jesus and His Mother passed by the tree, the devil fled from it and it bowed to the ground as if prostrating to its Creator.
The next morning the Virgin went out with the Christ Child and they entered a Greek temple, where the statues fell of themselves and were smashed. The news of this spread among the people, who were astonished and began to wonder the reason for this happening.
But the most important event that took place there is the martyrdom of Wadamon the Armenian, who was from the city of Armant.
One day the young man Wadamon was sitting in his house among guests who were idolaters. Some of them were saying to each other: “Behold, we have heard that a woman arrived in the city of Ashmounin with a little Child who resembles the children of Kings.” Others asked: “Who is this Child who has come to Egyptian Land?” And everyone was talking about this Child and wonders that were worked by Him.
After the people left and each went to his own house, Wadamon rose up, mounted his donkey, and rode to reach the city of Ashmounin to find the woman and the Child. And when he saw the Child Jesus with his Mother Mary, he prostrated before Him.
When the Child Jesus saw what he had done, He smiled and said to him: “Peace be with you, O Wadamon. You have labored and come here in person to find out more concerning what you have heard from your guests about Me. Therefore, I will come and stay with you and your house will become My abode.”
Wadamon marvelled at these words, and said: “O my Lord, I wish that Thou wouldst come and live in my house, and I will be Thy servant forever.”
And the Child Jesus said to him: “Your house will be a dwelling place for Myself and My Mother, for when you return home from here and the idolaters hear that you came to search Me out, they will feel anger for that, and they will shed your blood in your house. Do not be afraid, because I will receive you in My Kingdom in Heaven forever, the place of eternal joy that has no end, and you will be the first martyr in Upper Egypt.”
Then, the man knelt and worshipped the Lord Christ, Who blessed him, and he went back to his house.
When Wadamon returned to Armant, the idolaters heard of his arrival and the word spread in the city that Wadamon had visited the Child Jesus. So the worshipers of the idols came to him in haste, asking: “Is all that they say about you true?”
Wadamon replied, saying, “Yes, I went to the Lord Christ, Who blessed me and said, ‘I am coming to dwell in your house with My Mother forever.’”
The heathens shouted out as one person, drew their swords and killed him. Thus Wadamon received the crown of martyrdom on this day.
And it came to pass as the Christ Child had told him: When the worship of idols was abolished and Christianity spread in the country, the Christians converted his house into a church, and named it after the Virgin Mary and her Son, glory be to Him.
This church was called Al-Jiushnah, or El-Gihouna, which translates as “the Church of the Neighborhood” in a village called Armant, which still exists now. May God have mercy on us through the intercession of Our Lady the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and the intercession of the martyr Wadamon, the pure one of faith, and glory be to our God forever.
The story of the arrival of the Holy Family to the city of Ashmounin was reported by the History of Egyptian Monks, which was written by seven monks from Palestine who visited Egypt in the year 394. It was also reported by Palladius, who visited Egypt between the years 388 and 399, as well as Pope Theophilus the 23rd Patriarch, the historian Sozomen around the year 443, and Abu Al-Makarim in the year 1209.
Our Lady & her Divine Son worked many miracles during their travels in Egypt
The next morning the Virgin went out with the Christ Child and they entered a Greek temple, where the statues fell of themselves and were smashed. The news of this spread among the people, who were astonished and began to wonder the reason for this happening.
But the most important event that took place there is the martyrdom of Wadamon the Armenian, who was from the city of Armant.
One day the young man Wadamon was sitting in his house among guests who were idolaters. Some of them were saying to each other: “Behold, we have heard that a woman arrived in the city of Ashmounin with a little Child who resembles the children of Kings.” Others asked: “Who is this Child who has come to Egyptian Land?” And everyone was talking about this Child and wonders that were worked by Him.
Wadamon kneels before the Child Jesus
& offers his homage
When the Child Jesus saw what he had done, He smiled and said to him: “Peace be with you, O Wadamon. You have labored and come here in person to find out more concerning what you have heard from your guests about Me. Therefore, I will come and stay with you and your house will become My abode.”
Wadamon marvelled at these words, and said: “O my Lord, I wish that Thou wouldst come and live in my house, and I will be Thy servant forever.”
And the Child Jesus said to him: “Your house will be a dwelling place for Myself and My Mother, for when you return home from here and the idolaters hear that you came to search Me out, they will feel anger for that, and they will shed your blood in your house. Do not be afraid, because I will receive you in My Kingdom in Heaven forever, the place of eternal joy that has no end, and you will be the first martyr in Upper Egypt.”
Then, the man knelt and worshipped the Lord Christ, Who blessed him, and he went back to his house.
The Holy Family crosses the Nile by boat
Wadamon replied, saying, “Yes, I went to the Lord Christ, Who blessed me and said, ‘I am coming to dwell in your house with My Mother forever.’”
The heathens shouted out as one person, drew their swords and killed him. Thus Wadamon received the crown of martyrdom on this day.
And it came to pass as the Christ Child had told him: When the worship of idols was abolished and Christianity spread in the country, the Christians converted his house into a church, and named it after the Virgin Mary and her Son, glory be to Him.
This church was called Al-Jiushnah, or El-Gihouna, which translates as “the Church of the Neighborhood” in a village called Armant, which still exists now. May God have mercy on us through the intercession of Our Lady the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and the intercession of the martyr Wadamon, the pure one of faith, and glory be to our God forever.
The story of the arrival of the Holy Family to the city of Ashmounin was reported by the History of Egyptian Monks, which was written by seven monks from Palestine who visited Egypt in the year 394. It was also reported by Palladius, who visited Egypt between the years 388 and 399, as well as Pope Theophilus the 23rd Patriarch, the historian Sozomen around the year 443, and Abu Al-Makarim in the year 1209.
Posted February 8, 2025
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