This page is for those who have met Tamav Irene or have come into contact with her. The information is collected from different sources without mentioning names and without order.

It brings so much peace to write about Tamav.
I have met her innumerable times and each time her presence passed on peace to me and all who were around. After her departure, whenever she was the subject of a conversation, article or book all those present experienced the same feelings of peace and tranquillity of heart. Sharing the life of Tamav Irene with everyone is so comforting in this corrupt generation.

I have had personal contact with Tamav over the span of many years. I always admired her. I wondered how she kept her faith so strong all the time despite all the sufferings she has patiently and thankfully endured. She has undergone more than thirty surgeries over the years of her life with no complain whatsoever. She faced many problems erecting two new convents and added many new buildings to the main one in Old Cairo; all of the three convents were under her leadership. Moreover, she had responsibilities towards the spiritual life of her nuns whose number has increased greatly and also towards the thousands who went to her for guidance and asked for her help. God has bestowed upon her many spiritual gifts. When she was ordained as mother superior, the main difficulty she faced was the absence of love between the nuns and that was what she could not endure. She asked God to give her the cross of sickness and pain rather than to see her nuns in that state. From then on peace and love prevailed between her nuns and all those who served in the convent all throughout the time of her life. God granted her wish and she suffered for that cause as long as she lived. Do not ask me how her innocence and simplicity remained untouched and how she kept an unfaltering love for all throughout her entire life.

In Egypt and abroad there are thousands and thousands giving witness to her sanctity. She stirred the hearts of all those who flocked to hear her recount the many miracles performed and which she attributed solely to St. Philopater Mercurius. On each of the feasts of St. Mercurius around twenty five thousand used to attend the vespers and around the same number attended the feast day. The crowds had to keep moving because the capacity of the convent was not big enough to receive all those numbers. The road to the convent was a stream of St. Mercurius and Tamav Irene lovers. Everyone was offered a small box of dry snacks, a fruit and holy oil. Tamav established this act of love towards the many who came to take the blessings of St. Mercurius regardless of their social class poor or rich. Everyone returned home with the box and shared what is in it with his loved ones, neighbours or the sick. Many of those who attended knew Tamav personally and have witnessed miracles that showed her sanctity.
Fourteen years have passed now since she has departed but still when people meet together they narrate countless stories about her. They remember the unfaltering love with which she surrounded them and are grateful for all the things she has done for them and for all the things they have learned from her. Whenever they meet and speak about Tamav, the hours fly by. Each has his own story, each feels that Tamav was his own, each recounts how he has met her by divine providence. There are countless miracles and stories performed everyday through her intercession. I have not seen anyone like Tamav Irene in our times.

There is much to say about Tamav. She has strengthened the orthodox faith of many all over Egypt and abroad too. She showed us what the true orthodox faith is, with utmost simplicity. It is not literally sticking to vain words, it is living with the whole spirit of the Bible, nothing omitted. Love and mercy govern all the rules. She loved everyone, orthodox or non-orthodox. Although extremely strict with herself, she was merciful and compassionate towards her nuns and all those who met her. She received everyone with love. And as a shepherd, everyone had a special place in her heart. She loved all alike, rich and poor, young and old, educated and ignorant. Tamav was like a magnet whoever met her loved her and she changed the course of the life of many. Some of them have met her only very few times. Just the sight of her comforted all who looked at her face which reflected spiritual peace and joy. When we meet together and speak about Tamav, we all remember the inner peace that filled our hearts when we used to meet with her.

I am proud of Tamav Irene. She is a living example in the twenty first century. She is loved by everyone in Egypt. Wherever we go, we find her pictures hanging: churches, homes, shops …. Those pictures or photos have been circulating around after her departure only. When she was living, only those who met her knew how she looked like. She never permitted anybody to have any photo of her thus practicing the main virtue of orthodoxy, humbleness. Many have met her and have their own stories about her. All those who knew her, miss her very much. Once, I met one of the many nurses who worked at the hospital she frequently went to. She said that whenever she did for her the simplest of all things, Tamav made a sign to the accompanying nun to give her a sum of money. She says: Tamav was so generous with her that the money she gave her covered all the needs of her family: school fees, food, clothes … etc. She adds, that at that time she did not worry at all about any of her needs.

Through her intercession she delivered many from evil. She always acted as a peacemaker between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and between parents and their children. When she was living she never missed
a chance to do this. To those who asked for her guidance before getting married for example, she helped them choose the right partner but still at their own free will. She also gave counsel to many before making vital decisions that would have adversely affected their lives. All this through divine guidance. She continues to act in the same manner up till now.

Tamav is not canonized but her miracles are taking place everywhere and everyday. The church canonizes after fifty years just like the case of Pope Kyrillos VI who was canonized lately but has been performing miracles since his departure in 1971. Tamav is a contemporary saint and there are thousands and thousands of witnesses to her sanctity. She has such a beautiful and inspiring life. I cannot help not to look at her with admiration; an admiration that has not ceased though she has departed now since fourteen years.

She led a very fruitful life. She prayed for and helped innumerable people. She never wasted her time neither during daytime nor during the night, most of which she has spent in prayer. Based on this, imagine how much there is to say about her. The steadfast Coptic Orthodox Church gave birth to thousands of saints and martyrs over the two thousand years. Tamav is the daughter of this church, the church that has moved the Mokatam mountain through its prayers in 975 AD.

Another contemporary saint is Pope Kyrillos the Sixth (Cyril VI) the 116th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark (1959-1971) who is prominent in the ranks of the saints of this generation. He was a man fully dedicated to the life of prayer through which he performed innumerable miracles and through which he possessed the spiritual gift of prior knowledge. He offered Mass, the heart of the Christian worship, early every morning on a daily basis.

After his departure, he has accumulated an exhaustive list of miracles from around the world. He has acquired sainthood from the Holy Synod. Until now many miracles are performed through his intercession. He loves his people and many a time he comes to them without being summoned. We hear a lot about him and many of those living now came in contact with him during his Papacy. They handed down his legacy to their children.

There is a special relationship between Tamav and Pope Kyrillos. He sponsored her when she became a nun and supported her during the hardships that she has encountered. He sponsored her becoming the head of the convent. He was in daily contact with her whether by telephone or through spiritual visions. After his departure this relationship never ceased, she saw him a lot in visions until the last day of her life. A lady who has witnessed the departure of the spirit of Tamav to heaven, said that Pope Kyrillos was a prominent saint among those who received her.

Tamav loved all when she was living and this has definitely not changed after her departure. Many miracles are taking place through her intercession in Egypt nowadays. I cannot tell you how much love fills the hearts of the thousands and thousands who have met and who have not met her. She is the saint of this generation. What a holy life she has led in our corrupt generation. She is a true saint without any fake acts or words. She has been always very sensitive to the feelings of others. She loved all despite of job or rank. She never changed her principles all throughout her life. She did her utmost to help anybody who was in trouble and with the divine gifts she did her utmost to save a soul.

I myself wonder about the existence of someone like her in such an evil world. I continuously admired her for being able to keep herself so pure amid such a world. I admired too how she adhered to God all the time with unfaltering faith.

Tamav was extraordinary. She surrounded herself with saints. Saints make friends with saints and they all work together to help us with the true love that they have acquired through their life with our kind and loving God. They befriend us too because they love us.

Once Tamav visited Mount Athos with the help of Saint Mercurius, to see his relics there. The monks were surprised to see her as no women are allowed to visit this island. In Mount Athos alone there are at least ten parts of the relics of St. Mercurius, the most important of which is a part of his skull that is distributed between three monasteries; mainly the monastery of Dionysiou. A part of his spine is in the monastery of St. Barbara and parts of his armaments are in the monastery of Pantocrator, which also has an icon of St Mercurius the warrior. Other than this, there are sixteen parts of his relics in Greece and in many other parts of the world.