Georgena Habbaba, Catholic News Agency/ACI MENA
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
A well-known Egyptian religious site, the Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Assiut, thought to be the final stop of the Holy Family’s flight from Herod, hosts one of the largest annual religious celebrations in Africa and the Middle East. Every year, from August 7–22, during the feast of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Family’s visit to Egypt is commemorated. The celebration draws massive crowds of pilgrims, particularly on the feast day of the Virgin, with attendance exceeding 750,000 pilgrims.
