In 2014, two years after my enthronement, I went to Canada for the first time where I spent a whole month visiting the Churches and the different sights. During one church visit, the children’s choir -boys and girls around ten years of age- sang some beautiful songs. One of them carried the meaning of: God bless Canada trees, Canada rivers, Canada streets …etc; with no mention of Egypt at all! It was then that I felt some danger that these young blossoms will forget the land that the Coptic Orthodox Church was established on… and not only them but also their servants.
After returning to Egypt I thought long about what to do for the Coptic generations who will grow outside the land of Egypt; and the idea began by preparing a place that can host the youth from different countries and dioceses. We started by constructing ‘Logos center’ for conventions in the papal residence in the monastery of St. Bishoy in Wadi El Natroun – Egypt, taking in consideration that it should be an integrated center providing full service with an excellent quality hosting and accommodations, for about 200 persons. We opened it at the beginning of 2016.
And by the end of 2017 a group of fathers and servants started planning for the “First World Youth Week of Coptic Orthodox Church” which took place in August 2018 under the motto: ‘Back to the Roots’.
It was a very successful week surpassing all of our expectations. An international Coptic youth family, from all five continents and around 30 different dioceses was established; around 200 youths as members connecting, getting to know each other in spiritual love that covered them all, on the land of Egypt that dazzled them, and they also connected with us as fathers and servants. In 2019, the majority of them came back to Egypt for a week of service. Egypt and the Church is what they seek and think about, and what they long for is to stay connected in every way.
And because of this success we decided that the convention should be every two years for different groups of international youth, as well as youth from Egypt. Those are some signs of development in the youth service and how they connect with the Church and come to know the roots of their great church. This also connected them with each other in a beautiful way satisfying their need for knowledge, travel, visits, friendships, love and spiritual satisfaction; also renewing their energy and broadening their vision for an upright life.
I thank everyone who actively served and participated in this forums that become a model for all our wonderful youths in all dioceses.
May Christ bless every service and all churches through the intercessions of our Mother St. Mary, St. Mark and all the saints, may His grace be upon us all.
Pope Tawadros II
