On 28th March 2011, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa officially received at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St George in Old Cairo the plans for its overall renovation from the Erudite Professor George Penelis and the Civil Engineer Mr Gregory Penelis.
According to the plans, the first stage of the work foresees the immediate start of work on the restoration of the Holy Church of St George.
His Beatitude, in his brief address, spoke with emotion of the importance of this monastic dwelling place saying that it “served as a refuge for the Holy Family in Egypt from King Herod’s rage, as well as a place where the Great Martyr St George was imprisoned, yet its architectural history is lost in the years B.C. The result of this centuries old and turbulent historical path is that this most beautiful church, defined as the sole “rotunda” of the East, has undergone significant damage through time, which, despite the economic crisis, demand immediate renovation works before it is too late. We pray for God’s providence, the mediation of St George, and the love of our fellow man, so that we can realise the enormous financial costs of this work, the completion of which is our duty and responsibility to Orthodoxy and the future generations.
His Beatitude then awarded the Cross and the Lion of St Mark to Messrs. George and Gregory Penelis respectively. Present at the handing over of the plans were His Eminence Alexios of Carthage, His Grace Nikodimos of Nitria Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo, His Grace Niphon of Babylonia Hegumen of the Monastery, His Excellency the Ambassador of Greece in Egypt Mr Christodoulos Lazaris and the Erudite Professor of the Alexandrian Polytechnic Mr Mohamed Aoud.
