This eight-day pilgrimage offers an opportunity to connect with the roots of the religions ‘of the Book’ and the Christian church story and to experience the quiet and very special qualities of the desert.
Flying direct from Newcastle to Sharm-el-Sheikh, there is one night in this holiday destination before we drive inland by air-conditioned coach for a three-night stay at the Guest House beside the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine, at the foot of Mount Sinai. Here there is opportunity to see the Burning Bush, Moses’ Well and the renowned collection of icons and manuscripts - and probably also attend a service and perhaps see the refurbished library; to climb Mount Sinai (not obligatory – you can instead have time to rest and reflect) and take an easy walk to visit a local Bedouin family, pausing en route at the rock from which water came when struck with Moses’ staff. We are fortunate to have travelling with us Dr Elena Narinskaya, an Orthodox theologian and iconographer who can help us understand what we see and experience.
We then travel to the west side of the Gulf of Suez, to the Coptic Orthodox Monasteries of St. Anthony and of St. Paul set in a remote corner of the Eastern Desert – but we will spend two nights at the very comfortable Movenpick Ein Sokhna hotel, where there should be time to swim, for those who wish. The final night is spent back at the Guest House at St. Catherine’s.
St. Anthony’s is the oldest monastery in continuous use, having been founded in 305 by Anthony; the cave in which he lived lies in the mountain behind the monastery. The first to create a monastic rule, Anthony is commonly regarded as the first monk and St. Paul the first hermit, his monastery being founded upon the site of the cave in which he lived. These monasteries are a considerable contrast to St. Catherine’s, their plain walls decorated with paintings of an immediate, striking simplicity.
The Celtic church in Britain looked back to Anthony’s monastic rule, and in the lives of saints such as Aidan and Cuthbert we can see similarities to the early Coptic saints.
The tour covers some distance, but it is not hurried and there will be plenty of time for quiet reflection and prayers, some guided, with material specifically prepared and provided to help in this. The desert has a very profound ‘feel’ and for those who go open to receive what God will show, the experience can be very special.
The tour leader is Ruth Crofton, a retired URC minister who has a great love for the Sinai, having visited seven times before, and a special interest in the lives and saying of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. This is likely to be her last visit, and as she appears to be the only person offering a journey of this nature – if you want to go, this may be the last opportunity.
Cost (inclusive of all meals, entry costs etc.) is £1,160. (single supplement of £195) The only extras are drinks with meals and a contribution to the group gratuity fund of £35 per person and insurance.
For a detailed brochure, or for any queries,
contactRuth Crofton on 01388 763093 or r.crofton@btinternet.com
Useful websites –
St. Catherine’s: www.sinaimonastery.com
St. Anthony’s: www.stanthonymonastery.org
St. Paul’s: www.touregypt.net/featurestories/stpaul.htm
Coptic Church: www.copticchurch.net