Church in Alexandria, Egypt, Marks Golden Jubilee as Pope Tawadrus II Opens Service Centre

Pope Tawadrus II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Church, attended a celebration on Wednesday at the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Kirles in Alexandria, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the church’s first service. The event took place on the margins of the Pope’s weekly meeting at the church.

Before the ceremony, Pope Tawadrus II opened a centre named Logos to serve the church and the people of the area. He also took a commemorative photograph and unveiled a commemorative painting for the golden jubilee. The centre’s opening, a practice of sharing with people in need (Hebrews 13:16), was described as part of the services the church provides to its members and to residents of the region, in connection with the anniversary of the church’s founding and the establishment of its first congregation.

The ceremony began with a prayer of thanks. Among those taking part were Bishop Anna Paveli, General Bishop of the Park Sector Churches; Bishop Anna Hermena, General Bishop of the Sector East Alexandria Churches; Ember Emil, Procurator-General of the Patriarchate in Alexandria; Tadras Yacoub; church priests; and a number of Alexandrian priests. A large congregation was present.

A church priest, Yoang Aziz, gave a welcoming address in which he expressed his happiness at the Pope’s attendance for the golden jubilee. The programme also included performances, songs, and documentary films on the church’s history and development over fifty years.

According to the presentations, the church’s story began when a woman from the region donated a villa to the congregation. The building later became a church serving the people of the area and grew into one of the known churches in Alexandria. The presentations covered the main phases of the church’s half-century and the growth of its services and activities.

At the close of the ceremony, Pope Tawadrus II commended the church’s presentations and said that its fifty years reflected a journey of work, giving, and patience. He linked the church’s history to a Psalm, and he described the half-century since the first holy place was established as the fruit of many years of service and labour.

The jubilee celebration forms part of a wider effort to mark the history of the churches and their role in serving society, and to preserve their memory by documenting their founding and development across generations.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)