Today, Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, led the ordination service of Rev. Samir Dawood, Rev. Rami Naeem, Rev. Michael Angelo, Rev. Moody Habib, Deacon Raymond Demian, and Deacon Tamer Fawzy, to serve in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The ordination took place during the Holy Eucharist at All Saints’ Cathedral in Zamalek.
The service began with the entrance procession of the Archbishop, preceded by the priests and deacons. It included readings from the Holy Scriptures followed by prayers of consecration.
In his sermon, the Archbishop said:
In the historical context, the word “friend” did not carry the same casual meaning it holds today. Rather, it implied a deeper relationship. The Bible expresses true closeness using the term “beloved.” That is why, when Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you,” it was an unexpected and deeply moving declaration.
He continued:
The essence of this friendship and love is reflected in Christ’s relationship with the Father, which serves as a model for our relationship with Him and with one another. Love is not just an emotion—it is the greatest commandment. Love and friendship are built on giving and sacrifice. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Christ did not offer us a theoretical definition of love; He gave Himself as a sacrifice, becoming the ultimate example of true love and friendship.
The Archbishop went on:
Christ chose us to be His beloved—we did not choose Him first. He said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” He loved us even while we were in a state of rejection and sin, and He chose us to enter into a personal relationship with Him. While human beings choose friends based on comfort or compatibility, Jesus chose us with unconditional love. He wants us to enjoy a fruitful relationship with Him, just as He enjoys perfect unity with the Father. This is the love the Lord calls us to reflect in our ministry and in our relationships—with Him and with others: a love and friendship marked by sacrifice and self-giving.
At the conclusion of the Eucharist, the Archbishop prayed over the newly ordained priests and deacons, saying:
“You are called by God to be servants to His people, and in your ministry, you are to proclaim the Word of God to them.”
He concluded by praying that God would grant the new clergy the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their ministry and use them for the building of His Kingdom.