June 2019 – Smalut (Agenzia Fides) – To make a pilgrimage and ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary for security and peace in the country: with this spirit thousands of Christians and Muslims took part in the week of celebrations at the Deir Al Tayr monastery in Smalut, participating in the Ascension Mass in recent days.
The Monastery, visited by about two million faithful of the Christian and Muslim communities that week, is known for its ancient church carved in the heart of the eastern part of the mountain. The pilgrimage to the monastery constitutes the second stage in the so-called “Way of the Holy Family,” the itinerary that unites the places crossed by Mary, Joseph, and the Child Jesus when they took refuge in Egypt to escape from the violence of Herod.