As I stood outside the gates of the Monastery of Sinai, I noticed two young Americans approaching, clearly unsettled by the news that the Monastery had closed to the public.
Initially, the monks had declared that the Monastery would be closed until Sunday afternoon (June 1). However, after hours of internal discussions and considerable external pressure, they ultimately decided to reopen its doors to both the faithful and visitors.
“We want to speak with one of the monks. We wish to stay here and be part of the community,” they expressed, almost reverently. One of them, Christodoulos Horch, is a 22-year-old filmmaker from Colorado. An Orthodox Christian, he is working on a film that explores monastic life on Mount Athos, collaborating with several Greek-Americans. After spending three months in Mount Athos, he came to Sinai seeking spiritual continuity, unaware of the turmoil awaiting him. “I only learned about it today. I came to pray; I didn’t expect such unrest,” he said, visibly disappointed.
Christodoulos Horch reflects on his need for prayer
According to him, his journey to faith wasn’t a theological quest but stemmed from a desire to understand himself and the world around him. “In my pursuit of knowledge and through travel, I encountered God. My experiences in Greece, especially in Rhodes and Patmos, brought me closer to Him than any book ever could,” he shared. “Visiting Patmos, I felt an indescribable energy that pierced through me.”
George Smith, an economics student, shares his motivation for visiting the Monastery of Sinai
Alongside him is George Smith, a 21-year-old economics student, also from Colorado. His personal journey has taken him from Chile to Kyoto, Japan, and Sydney, Australia. He met Christodoulos in Cairo, who encouraged him to visit the Monastery of Sinai. “I came because I felt a calling to be here. I’m not exactly sure what I’m searching for, but I believe I can find it here,” he noted.
The pair now finds themselves outside the closed gates of the Monastery, reflecting on the silence enforced by the monks in recent hours. The Monastery remains off-limits to the faithful, as the monks have chosen to withdraw in response to an Egyptian court’s decision to confiscate the Monastery’s property, leading to uncertainty and distress within the monastic community.
“We don’t want to create a disturbance,” Christodoulos assured me. “We just want to speak with someone. To understand. To pray with them.” Their desire to connect with the Monastery—despite the current barriers—echoes a deeper yearning that many young people share today: a retreat from worldly noise to discover truth in places of silence, faith, and prayer.
Both Christodoulos and George openly criticize the Egyptian court’s decision, deeming it unjust and disrespectful to the historical and spiritual significance of the Monastery. They assert that such actions not only breed insecurity but also threaten the core of Orthodox life that has thrived in Sinai for centuries.
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