A brief account of the development of the Seminary from the days of Habib Gerges to the present day, marking the 95th anniversary of its foundation

The lecture discusses the history of the Clerical College and its development through different stages in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
It explains that the College was established in the early Church and continued during the first centuries, but later disappeared for long periods amid persecution and periods of weakness that the Church experienced.
Then, consideration was given to bringing the College back into operation, and it was re-established in 1893, with Habib Girgis being the first student to enroll in it.
In its early days, there was no specialized teacher available to teach religion, so Habib Girgis, while still a student, was entrusted with teaching religion to his fellow students; he would go to the library, read, study, and prepare himself for teaching.
Thus, Habib Girgis played a prominent role in establishing modern religious education within the Clerical College, after which the curriculum gradually developed and its fields of study increased.

Spiritual Message

The history of the College shows that serving the Church requires faithfulness, struggle, and patience, and that Church work can only grow when people recognize their responsibility toward the Church and education.
The lecture particularly highlights the example of Habib Girgis, who did not wait until all the necessary resources were available, but began with what he had, studying on his own and then serving his fellow students through teaching.
This shows that love for the Church is not expressed through words alone, but through a willingness to labor, serve, and make an effort for the benefit of others.

Educational Lesson

Education at the College developed from basic subjects such as the Bible, theology, preaching, the Coptic language, and rites into more specialized fields, with the addition of educational sciences, Church Canon Law, music, hymns, and other subjects.
The lecture also emphasizes the importance of having specialized professors, and therefore the College brought in a number of distinguished professors and specialists in history, languages, archaeology, theology, and other fields of knowledge.
This development shows that preparing servants of the Church requires an integrated education that combines biblical, theological, linguistic, and educational knowledge with Church life and service.

Practical Application

The lecture directs the students to appreciate the value of the education and heritage they have received and not to regard theological study as merely an academic pursuit.
The purpose of education is to prepare people who are capable of serving the Church, teaching, providing pastoral care, and carrying responsibility for future generations.
The history of the College’s relocation and the development of its buildings and curriculum also shows that preserving the ministry requires continual effort and working together to provide suitable conditions for Church education.
Therefore, every student should make use of the period of study to build his knowledge, service, and spiritual life, so that he may be able to offer the Church what he has learned with faithfulness and love.

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