Graduation ceremony for the end of the 2019-2022 academic year, attended and honored by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
On Sunday, November 5, 2023, corresponding to 25 Baba 1740 A.M., the graduation ceremony for those who completed the basic study courses at the Institute was launched in the presence of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. His Holiness witnessed the ceremony held by the Coptic Institute for Church Administration and Development (COPTICAD) to graduate those who obtained the Institute’s basic training courses from the period of 2019 until the end of 2022, including bishops and priests. The ceremony was held this evening at the Anba Roueis Theater in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Al-Abbasia.
Dr. Magdy Latif El-Sandy, Dean of the Institute, delivered a welcoming speech, expressing thanks and appreciation to His Holiness the Pope for his constant support of “COPTICAD” and his dedication to entrenching the approach of institutional work within the Church. He emphasized that cultivating the vision for institutional work requires patience, effort, and self-denial.
He pointed out that from the end of 2019 until 2022, the basic courses were successfully completed by 17 fathers who recently attained the rank of bishop, 9 administrators of Coptic monasteries, and 500 priests, church council members, and service secretaries across 26 dioceses and pastoral sectors.
In her speech, Dr. Iman Nasri, a member of the Institute’s Research and Studies Committee, presented the applied projects for institutional development in the Church, which were presented by diocesan trainees. On behalf of the Institute, she extended special thanks to the following dioceses and churches for implementing the following projects, which did not have enough time at the ceremony to display all of them:
Project to establish the Sons of Light Youth Service, Diocese of Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and its dependencies.
Talent Discovery Project for the Served, Diocese of Esna and Armant, Church of the Great Martyr Mar Girgis Armant El-Hayt.
Project to develop a vision and internal communication plan for the church, the Diocese of Peace and Crafts.
Church without Addicts Project, Diocese of El-Mahalla El-Kubra and its dependencies.
Sons of Light Center Project for Preparing Servants, both Male and Female, Luxor Diocese, Saints Monastery, El Tod.
A project to deepen the Coptic identity in childhood, as well as a project to establish a specialized institute for preparing servants, Diocese of Banha and Qawisna.
Organizational structure project for service hospitals in the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Port Said and its affiliates, Diocese of Port Said.
Project to develop the vision and organizational structure of the Servants Preparation Department, Diocese of Al-Muharraq Monastery, St. Mark the Apostle Cathedral, Barzaqa Al-Deir.
Service Preparation Curriculum Development Project, Diocese of Dishna.
General Servants Meeting Project, Diocese of Tanta, Cathedral of the Great Martyr St. George and the Righteous Martyrs of Tanta.
Accounting software project to develop church committees, Diocese of Manfalut.
Church Membership Program Usage Project, St. Mark’s Church, Shubra Gardens.
Applying one of the development and management approaches for the church, St. George’s Church, Sidi Bishr, Alexandria.
Then, six graduation project models were presented at the ceremony for the dioceses of Mit Ghamr, Qus and Naqada, Luxor, Manshiyat al-Tahrir, Assiut, and the Central Alexandria Sector: Click here to view the submitted projects.
ثم أُجرِيَ لقاءًا حواريًا شارك فيه بعض المطارنة والأساقفة وهم : نيافة الحبر الجليل الأنبا دانيال أسقف المعادي والبساتين ودار السلام وتوابعها، القاهرة، ونيافة الحبر الجليل الأنبا توماس مطران القوصية ومير، ونيافة الحبر الجليل الأنبا بافلى الأسقف العام لكنائس قطاع المنتزة، ونيافة الحبر الجليل الأنبا ميخائيل أسقف حدائق القبة والوايلى ومنشية الصدر، نوقش بالحوار مفاهيم “الكنيسة مؤسسة روحية مهدفة ومثمرة ونامية”.
فيما ألقى قداسة البابا كلمة استهلها بقوله: “هذا يوم فرح وابتهاج، وله دلالات هامة في تاريخ كنيستنا”.
He then welcomed the attendees and the team of the Institute of Church Management and Development. In his speech, he addressed three points that included guidance and advice on pastoral management:
Beware of Personal Inclination: He commented, “It is very difficult for a shepherd to do as he pleases in managing his church or diocese.” He illustrated this with the words of the Lord Christ: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24), indicating that these words confirm there is no place for the self in pastoral work. He emphasized that self-denial must be a methodology and a way of life, one which the saints and the righteous followed and succeeded in. He stressed the necessity of having unified standards in selecting those called to the priestly ministry.
Our work must be perfect: What we offer to Christ must be the best we can. He cited the advice of our teacher, Paul the Apostle, to his disciple Timothy: “Fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). He added, “Our service must have substance and a vision to be complete and integrated,” emphasizing the importance of planning in ministry.
3- The importance of systematic work and vision in ministry: Organized ministry is successful and brings joy to God and people, and Christ was meticulous and organized in his public ministry. He concluded: “I reiterate my thanks, appreciation, and pride in the institute and its staff.”
In conclusion, the 650 graduates were honored by His Holiness the Pope.
To view photos: Click here
To view the text of the Dean of the Institute’s speech at the ceremony: click here
To watch the concert: Click here
Part of the event: Click here
