His Holiness Pope Tawadros II attended today, Saturday, the graduation ceremony held by the “TEACH” Academy at the headquarters of St. Mark’s Coptic Academy at the LOGOS Center of the Monastery of St. Bishoy in Wadi El-Natrun. This marks the first graduation ceremony to be held at the Coptic Academy, which was inaugurated last November.
During the ceremony, 92 graduates received the “TEACH” Certificate, in addition to 53 graduates who obtained the Diploma, 14 who obtained the Higher Diploma, and two who obtained the Master’s degree, bringing the total number of graduates to 161.
The graduation ceremony was attended by a number of the Church’s hierarchs, including His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, Metropolitan of Ireland, Scotland, and North-East England; Their Graces Bishop Angaelos, Bishop of London; Bishop Makary, General Bishop and Vice Dean of the Theological Clerical College at St. Rewis; and Bishop Angalos, General Bishop of the Churches of North Shubra.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Syriac Orthodox Church, including Mar Athanasius Touma and Rev. Fr. Philoxenus Issa, Priest of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Egypt.
The European Academy for Coptic Heritage (TEACH), based in London, is an online academic institution accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). It specializes in Christian studies and the preservation of Coptic heritage, offering a wide range of academic programs that provide advanced scholarly training in various fields. These include Christian history, biblical studies, patristic studies, and ecclesiastical arts—such as iconography and sacred music—in addition to the Coptic language and hymnology. Alongside its traditional programs, the Academy offers advanced courses and postgraduate studies in contemporary and interdisciplinary fields. Through its educational platform, the Academy serves an international student body across Europe, Africa, North America, and other regions of the world, contributing to the building of a global academic community committed to preserving Coptic cultural heritage.
In his address at the conclusion of the ceremony, His Holiness said: “I would like to express my joy and happiness today at your graduation from the European Academy for Coptic Heritage (TEACH). Today, we gather at St. Mark’s Coptic Academy, for the first time, to celebrate hosting a graduation ceremony on the land of St. Mark in Egypt, for one of the ecclesiastical institutes of our Coptic Orthodox Church—among forty colleges, institutes, and theological schools inside and outside Egypt. This is a continuation between generations and an expression of the one Body that unites us in the Coptic Orthodox Church through the Orthodox faith. We are today in the surroundings of the Monastery of St. Bishoy, which dates back to the fourth century, where we are uplifted by the spirit of the holy fathers who lived in these sacred deserts since that time.
The Church advances in every generation, walking on two feet: education and consecration. As we call our Lord Jesus Christ ‘the Good Teacher,’ each one of you—graduates, students, professors, and teachers—is called to be good in learning and in teaching. We carry a long history and an exceedingly rich heritage in our Coptic Orthodox Church, by preserving the Orthodox faith and handing it down from generation to generation. I congratulate you all—students, graduates, faculty members, and administrators—and I am pleased with the progress achieved by ‘TEACH’ over the past five years and with its vision for the coming five years, as presented by the professors.”
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