A few weeks ago, Tasoni Angel Basily departed in the Lord on November 24th, 2019. A modern-day spiritual giant, she outlived her famous husband, the Very Reverend Fr. Bishoy Kamel, by many decades, yet lived her life as if they were still serving God together. She died on their 60th wedding anniversary. 

St. John Chrysostom is famous for saying the “Christian family is an icon of the church.” Tasoni Angel’s entire family consecrated itself to serving God through the Coptic Orthodox Church. In addition to her husband Fr. Bishoy (you can read more about him in this short, downloadable book by John Watson, The Transfigured Cross: A Study of Father Bishoi Kamel, (6 December 1931 to 21 March 1979), she is the sister of His Grace Bishop Demitrius of Malawi, Egypt, Fr. Kyrillos Makar of St. Mary & St. Mina Church, Clearwater, Florida, Fr. Pigoul Basily of St. Mark’s Church, Frankfurt, Germany, and Tamav Youstina and Tamav Aghapy of St. Mercurius Monastery, Old Cairo, Egypt. 

I have heard much about Tasoni Angel (pronounced “Angail”) but never had the opportunity to meet her. However, my dear friend and fellow writer Nardeen Mickail Loka had the enormous blessing of being discipled by her during her time in Alexandria, Egypt. Here, she shares her experiences with her, and the many lessons she learned from her that she tries to uphold to this day. 

By Nardeen Mickail Loka

In September 1996, I graduated high school, left my parents in the United Arab Emirates, and began a new chapter in Alexandria, Egypt, where I went to college. I moved into a dorm that was a five minute walk from St. George Coptic Orthdox Church in Sporting. This church was well known for her founding priest, the late Father Bishoy Kamel. His shrine and final resting place in the lower part of the church is a comforting and consoling place for many people, including me. Daily weekday liturgies were my homesickness remedy. Early weekday liturgies were much less crowded than the main Friday and Sunday liturgies. Not knowing anyone in the beginning, one very unique woman, who attended the liturgy daily (yes, every single day), caught my eye. She was a short, older woman, all dressed in white, who wore a white headscarf, with a big cross necklace on her chest. I asked and learned that she was Tasoni Angel.

Tasoni (Coptic for “my sister”) Angel was a good and faithful servant who has entered into the joy of her Lord. She is the wife of the late Fr. Bishoy Kamel of St. George Church in Sporting, Alexandria, Egypt. Married on November 24th, 1959, she served faithfully alongside her husband and supported his service for 20 years until his departure to heaven in 1979. Traveling with him to the United States in 1969, the two established different church services in the newly developing Coptic diaspora. Before Fr. Bishoy’s passing, he gave her a verbal will, asking her to never stop serving. She agreed, continuing to serve faithfully for another 40 years after his departure until she passed peacefully on November 24th, 2019, on her 60th wedding anniversary.

During my college years, little by little I got to know Tasoni Angel and interact with her more. Despite her knowing so many people and being a very popular figure, she cared to reach out and know each of us individually, a group of foreigner girls who would be residing in Alexandria temporarily until school was over. She came and visited our dorm multiple times, chatting with each one of us. She got to know us and we got to know her. Her childlike simplicity was exceptional. After a few minutes of carrying a conversation with her, I was astonished as to how she can be so simple, yet so deep! 

At church, I stood nearby her and observed her praying during liturgies. I listened to her praising and singing hymns. I saw her visiting Fr. Bishoy’s shrine daily after liturgy was over. I witnessed her gathering with the priests and deacons venerating Fr. Bishoy in every major Church Feast. I experienced her warm welcoming smile that shone to everyone who visited her in her always open and welcoming home. I listened to her very amusing and beneficial stories. I saw her shy facial expressions when anyone asked her to take a photo with her. I experienced her humility when she was dignified by honorable and highly respected figures. Little did I know that one day, all that I saw and witnessed casually, which I must confess I have taken for granted in many occasions, would one day be shared with readers across the world to learn more about this very influential life, which affected the lives of many around her!  

+ Her faithfulness in service: Tasoni Angel served middle school girls for Sunday School all through the years. She was steadfast in passing on the faith that she learned from those who taught her, a great example of true Christian discipleship from generation to generation as the Lord taught us. She came from a family that spoke fluent Coptic in their household. She stayed committed in correcting and teaching the Coptic language in its proper form. Up until the last few days prior to her passing, at 88 years old, she taught Coptic lessons to a group of women in her own house. She sought knowledge and yearned to learn more. In addition to being fluent in Coptic, Arabic, English, and French, she was learning Aramaic in her eighties. Tasoni never gave herself excuses to skip service for even a day; neither because of bad weather, old age, weaker health or that there were enough people serving! She was very strict with herself. I recall her once meditating on Hebrews 1:7, “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire” (NKJV). She explained that we should be like flames of fire, very active and passionate with service. From her example I learned that we cannot be slacking or complacent in our service. 

+ Her love for the life of praise: Tasoni praised the midnight praises (tasbeha) daily, at church on some nights and at her home on the other nights. She loved the life of praise. Life of praise is the life of angels, she would explain. This is the language of heaven. Just watching her enthusiasm and listening to her angelic voice singing praises and hymns, was a lesson in itself. I remember her correcting the deacons’ Coptic words quite a few times–a correction that was made with love and zeal. 

+Her love for the altar and Liturgy: Tasoni Angel prayed the Divine Liturgy every single day. This was how she started her daily activities. Partaking of the Holy Mysteries was the means of abiding in Christ. Waking up early and getting to church on cold rainy winter mornings did not hinder her from beginning her day celebrating the Holy Eucharist. Her liturgical prayer life was another lesson in itself.  

+Her love for the saints: Tasoni Angel respected the saints very much. She taught us to look up to them as heroes to learn from. She made sure she celebrated their feast days, participated in their glorifications and visited the different churches and monasteries named after them. She had a true relationship with the victorious church, talking to them and asking for their prayers. Whenever I asked her to pray for me, or to ask Abouna Bishoy to pray for me, she would simply respond “I will tell him,” as if she were talking to someone right in front of her. 

+Her wisdom and discernment: Once, Tasoni was gathered with a group of people, and one of the people present noticed something she did not like and thought was wrong. She told Tasoni and complained to her hoping she would speak up. “Tasoni, won’t you say or do something about this?” Calmly, Tasoni smiled and humbly answered, “It is not our business to correct them.” I personally loved and got touched by this lesson. In a world where everyone has an opinion to say about everything, and in a social media directed society where being opinionated often comes with disrespect and a judgmental attitude, I felt I needed to hear this. I learned that I do my job, work in my area, and not go around evaluating and “correcting” others–it is none of my business. 

+Her outstanding hospitality: Since the days of Abouna Bishoy Kamel, Tasoni Angel always had an open door, a welcoming home to many in need, not necessarily monetary need, but often emotional need. Moreover, after Abouna’s passing, she kept her home open to many visitors as well as temporary residents! I personally know of a very recent incident, where a friend of mine from the United States was visiting Alexandria for a couple of days and was supposed to meet with Tasoni Angel at church on a particular day. This day, Tasoni happened to have a last-minute doctor’s appointment and came back home late and exhausted. Tasoni wasn’t able to go to church afterwards. However, instead of excusing herself from meeting my friend and her family, she welcomed them warmly in her own home, and they ended up spending a very nice and blessed time with her. This is Tasoni Angel. 

It is difficult to find sufficient words that pay Tasoni Angel adequate respect in a limited blog post. However, to describe Tasoni Angel in one word, it would be “Faithful.” When I think of her, I think of a joyful, hospitable, authentic servant. She showed wisdom through her conduct and meekness as Saint James describes in his epistle, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13). We learned as much from her in her actions, not just in her words. In the tradition of the disciples of St. Antony the Great, I can say that often it was sufficient for me just to look at her face to learn from her.

Tasoni Angel lived among us not to be served but to serve, just like her Master. (Matthew 20). She lived with conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1). She was salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5). She was a wise virgin, who had oil with her lamp (Matthew 25). She was a faithful and wise steward (Luke 12). She was a good and faithful servant, who was faithful over a few things and will now be ruler over many things–who entered into the joy of her Lord (Matthew 25).

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates” (Proverbs 31).

Nardeen Mickail Loka is a wife and mother of two children. She grew up in Dubai, went to medical school in Alexandria, Egypt, and lived in Florida for a few years before settling into New York. She now practices medicine while also serving alongside her husband Fr. Joseph Loka at St. Abraam’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Woodbury, NY. She enjoys family, traveling, and beach walks. Both her and her daughter love Disney and chocolate. Read more by her on a previous guest post here.