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Orthodox Observer - April 5, 1997

Prince Charles, Archbishop Attend Foundation Gala

NEW YORK ― The Prince of Wales was the guest of honor at the inauguration for Founding Sponsors of the American Associates of the St. Catherine Foundation on March 11 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

He was joined by Archbishop Spyridon, Archbishop Iakovos, President George Bush, Honorary Patron the Princess Sumaya of Jordan, and Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations.

As Royal Patron, Prince Charles, following a visit to Sinai, helped establish the Foundation in London last year to assist the Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai in Egypt a site to three religions particularly to work to conserve the Monastery's priceless manuscripts and icons collected over 1,500 years.

The isolated Orthodox Christian Monastery's collection of 4,500 books and scrolls are second only to the Vatican collection in volume and importance.

The site of the Monastery of St. Catherine is sacred to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as the place where Moses had the vision of the Burning Bush and later received the Ten Commandments.

The evening began with a viewing of "The Glory of Byzantium" exhibition at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 8 p.m.

[ Orthodox Observer - Vol. 62, No. 1126 - April 5, 1997 - p. 3 ]