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Bishop Karas | |
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| Church | Coptic Orthodox Church |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sorial Ayad Sorial (1955-01-17)17 January 1955 Sudan |
| Died | 17 January 2002(2002-01-17) (aged 47) California, United States |
| Occupation | Bishop |
| Alma mater | University of Khartoum |
Bishop Karas (bornSorial Ayad Sorial) was the firstbishop of theCoptic Orthodox Church in the United States and the firstabbot of the church's firstmonastery outside Egypt.
Sorial Ayad Sorial was born on 17 January 1955, inSudan. Sorial was devout at a young age, and received a strong Orthodox upbringing. After Sorial finished hisbachelor's degree inchemical engineering from theUniversity of Khartoum, he left to France to pursue adoctorate at theUniversity of Toulouse.[1]
On 18 January 1981, he attempted to enterMonastery of Saint Bishoy but was stopped by the Abbot, Bishop Sarabamoun, who told him to return to France to continue his education. Sorial replied, “No one, having put his hand on the plough can look back.” (Luke 9:62) The Abbot then allowed him to enter. On November 14, 1981, Sorial was ordained a monk and given the name Father Karas.Pope Shenouda IIIordained him as apriest on 14 February 1984, and assigned him to head the Papal Center in St. Bishoy Monastery. On 23 May 1989 Pope Shenouda elevated Father Karas toHegumen.
Hegumen Karas was appointed to head the new Monastery of St. Antony the Great inNewberry Springs,California (nearBarstow, California) on 26 September 1989.[2][citation needed]
The Bishops andMetropolitans of theHoly Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church unanimously agreed to the elevation of Father Karas as Bishop and Abbot in recognition of the monastery's prosperity; he was consecrated as a bishop on 6 July 1991, by Pope Shenouda III.[citation needed]
In 1998 Bishop Karas was diagnosed withlung cancer and was given nine months to live. The bishop continued to celebrate theDivine Liturgy, followed the regularfast schedule and lived a strict ascetic life. He met daily with visitors, even though he was receivingchemotherapy treatment. On 10 January 2002, Bishop Karas suffered astroke and fell into a coma; he died in the early morning of January 17, the day before his 47th birthday.[3]