HIS BEATITUDE CONDUCTED THE SERVICE OF THE BLESSING OF THE WATERS FOR THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

     On 12th September 2011, His Beatitude Theodoros, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa accompanied by His Grace Nikodimos, Bishop of Nitria and Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo, conducted the designated service of the blessing of the waters at the Hellenic Schools of Heliopolis in Cairo, at the start of lesson for the new academic year 2011-2012.

     His Beatitude gave paternal advice and wishes to the staff and pupils, emphasized the particular importance which the ancient Patriarchate places on the education of our African brothers and sisters for the improvement of their spiritual and living level, stressing that many educational institutions are already in operation in Africa and new ones will be inaugurated during his upcoming Patriarchal journeys, especially in the most sufferinghat countries of Malawi and Sierra Leone.

     He alsomentioned his recent visit to the school he attended in his birthplace, Crete, and his meetings with fellow pupils of the time.

     In coclusion he said that he has met with many distinguished Greeks from Egypt, who graduated from the well-known Greek Schools of Cairo and Alexandria and he thanked both the Holy Monastery of Sinai, the administrative head of the Ambetios School of Cairo, as well as the Hellenic Communities of Alexandria and Cairo; addressing the pupils of the Achilopoulios and Ambetios Schools he stressed: “You are the most blessed people on earth, because the future of the entire planet, the future of Hellenism in Egypt and the future of our beloved Egypt is in your hands”.

     He ended by welcoming the new Educational Attache of North Africa and the Middle East, Mr Kapides and warmly thanked the departing Educational Attache, Mr Ioannis Stavropoulos, for his contribution.

     Present at the ceremony were the Revernd Fr Ioannis Metaxas on behalf of the Holy Monastery of Sinai, His Excellency the Ambassador of Cyprus in Egypt Mr Sotos Liassides, the Honourable Consul General of Greece in Cairo Mr Ioannis Hatzantonakis, the Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Cairo Mr Nicholas Vadis and other dignitaries.

Archim. P. Arathymos – N. Katsikas