Pope Kyrillos (Cyril) VI, the 116th Pope of Alexandria and successor of Saint Mark the Evangelist, sat on the throne of Saint Mark for twelve years (1959-1971). Pope Kyrillos was a holy man of prayer and brought the Coptic Church into a new era of spirituality. He was born on Saturday 2^nd August 1902 and was called Azer Ata. His father Ata, was a church deacon and belonged to a middle class family. After completing high school, Azer went to work for a shipping company in Alexandria. He was happy with little food and to sleep on the ground. Against his family's wishes, he resigned from his job to become a monk and entered the Monastery of El-Baramous on 27^th July 1927. He was ordained monk on 25^th February 1928 and was named Mina after the name of St. Mina, his patron saint. He was ordained priest on 18^th July 1931. He also attended the Helwan Theological College and was rated one of the top students.

Fr Mina's love for God was so great that he desired a life of solitude. The monks refused his request because he was only thirty years and it was a difficult life. The assembly of monks did not change Father Mina's decision and he lived in a cave near the monastery. He pursued a life of solitude at El-Natron Valley in the western desert between Cairo and Alexandria, then he headed the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor at Zawarah in upper Egypt and devoted a great deal of effort toward the restoration of this historic landmark.
When the monastery of St. Samuel was restored, he moved to a deserted windmill in El-Moukatam mountain at the outskirts of Cairo. This windmill was abandoned and very dangerous. It was far from the nearest city. Many dangerous animals were found there, including scorpions and snakes. Here, Fr Mina spent his time praying and contemplating because of his love for his Saviour.
Father Mina had many temptations to overcome which Satan set up.

Fr Mina also built a church in Ancient Cairo under the name of St. Mina. He lived in this church until his ordination as Pope of Alexandria and the Holy See of Saint Mark in 1959. He found himself surrounded with college students, many of them were from outside Cairo, so he started a dormitory for students who needed this service. This program formed the first church-affiliated dormitory in Egypt, and produced many Church leaders, some of them became bishops and priests later on, including the late bishop Samuel and His Holiness Pope Shenouda III (his successor).

Fr Mina used to clean the dormitory and the lavatories by himself without letting anybody know, and would not let anyone else do this job. By humiliating himself and serving others, he fulfilled our Lord's commandment: "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26)

Fr Mina was ordained Pope on 10^th May 1959 and was named Kyrillos VI.

The pope abolished any barrier between him and his sons. As a result, one could meet the pope whenever in need, even if he was sick or even if one came by night while everybody else slept. When he was asleep, his patron saint, Saint Mina, would awake him. Once, someone went to Pope Kyrillos to pray for him because all medical effort to heal him had failed, but the Pope was asleep so the person was about to go home. St. Mina awakened the Pope to give him his blessings. The man was surprised to find the pope calling him by his name even though he had never seen him before.
The amount of documented miracles performed by Pope Kyrillos and his patron saint, St. Mina, is immense. It is said that nearly every person who lived in the days of Pope Kyrillos witnessed a personal miracle, whether healing from various diseases, miraculous solving of difficult life problems, or just revelation of people's past. And till our present day, Pope Kyrillos performs miracles which are documented.

For the first time in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church, he established Coptic Orthodox churches in Asia, America, Canada and Australia. He sent priests to undertake religious services in Europe and Africa. He restored the relics of St. Mark from Italy. Monasticism, translation as well as social service flourished; many churches were built. He made the sacred unction (Holy Chrism or meron) used for anointing the body of the person after being baptised, with the view of being sacred as the temple of God.
Pope Kyrillos VI departed on 9^th March 1971. Initially, they buried him under the Altar in the Great Cathedral in Cairo. But when his successor, H.H. Pope Shenouda III read his will, he moved his holy body to the desert south west of Alexandria, to the Monastery of St. Mina which was re-established and immensely expanded by Pope Kyrillos to honour his patron saint, St. Mina of Mariout.
May the prayers and intercessions of Pope Saint Kyrillos VI and his patron Saint, St. Mina be with us. Amen.