A generation ago, the fourth-century St. Macarius Monastery in Egypt was at the point of closing down. Crumbling, short of funds and with only a handful of monks, it could have at best become a tourist attraction, much like Egypt's ancient ruins.
But the fortunes of St. Macarius, one of Egypt's oldest monasteries, were to change with the arrival in 1969 of a hermit known as Matha el-Masken, or Matthew the Poor.
Three monks of the 4th century monastry of St. Macarius walk Feb.18, 2001, in front of the monastry's farm as they fisnish their day's work. The once-derelict retreat in the desert about 65 miles west of Cairo runs an agribusiness and communicates with the outside world via fax and the Internet.
Thirty-two years after Father Matha's arrival, the once-derelict retreat runs an agribusiness and communicates with the outside world via fax and the Internet. It stands as a symbol of the revival of Egyptian monasticism, a place where the enduring traditions of one of the world's oldest Christian communities are wedded to the modern age.
The Internet was introduced to the monastery in January so monks, above, could read new religious works and do agricultural research. But only one monk is allowed to surf the Web, passing on what he finds to his brothers.
The monastery plans to set up a Web site later this year.
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