Those who have no one to remember them
Holiness Pope Shenouda focuses in the lecture on the need to pay attention to the groups of people who are “those who have no one to remember them,” and he calls the Church to serve the forgotten with loving practical action.
He lists types of special services that have not received enough attention: burying martyrs and writing their biographies, services for new cities and neighborhoods, and ministry in alleyways, lanes, and streets.
He points to street children, boys exploited for begging or pickpocketing, and deviant or addicted youth as priorities for compassionate ministry rather than contempt.
He speaks about the importance of specialized services for the elderly, the disabled, and the deaf and mute, and for families who are forgotten and go years without being visited.
He emphasizes that material assistance alone is insufficient; assistance must be linked to continuous spiritual service and follow-up to prevent deterioration or deviation.
He warns of the need to care for prisoners at different stages: those under investigation, convicted prisoners, those released for reintegration, and also support for prisoners’ families.
He calls for organized visitation programs: tracing youth absent from Sunday school, following up with female servants who left service after marriage, and seeking out groups who withdrew from service.
He encourages receiving difficult cases with patience and professionalism — cases that require dedicated servants and adaptive spirit, not superficial solutions.
He notes that serving the wealthy and those in high positions are also among “those who have no one to remember them” because of their embarrassment or status, and the word should reach them in dignified ways.
The spiritual conclusion: the Church is called to be a compassionate hand for all people without exception, to attend to the marginalized and develop specialized services that link material giving with spiritual care and continuous visitation.
For better translation support, please contact the center.
