Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Province of Alexandria, inaugurated the celebration marking 100 years since the founding of the Bulaq Handicrafts Center. The event was attended by Archbishop Dr. Mouneer Hanna, Director of the Christian-Muslim Relations Center and Honorary Archbishop, along with Archdeacon Hany Shenouda, pastor of All Saints’ Cathedral.
In his address, Archbishop Samy Fawzy affirmed that the church’s vision is “A Living Church for a Better Society.” He explained that the true life of the church is inseparable from its mission to serve people and stand beside them in their various needs. He emphasized that this vision can only be fulfilled through collaboration and by offering services that touch people’s daily lives — whether in education, training, or developmental projects — stressing that the church’s spiritual mission goes hand in hand with its social mission to build a whole and balanced human being.
Archbishop Mouneer Hanna spoke about the beginnings of the Bulaq Center, noting that it was the first social center established by the church in the Bulaq Abu El-Ela area. The aim of its founding was to promote development and empower people to serve themselves. He affirmed that this work reflects the message of the Gospel, which calls on us to support others using our gifts and abilities. Developmental service, he said, is a natural and essential extension of the church’s spiritual mission.
The celebration was attended by Rev. Canon Medhat Sabry, pastor of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Menouf; Rev. Yashua Bakhit, General Secretary of the Council of Churches of Egypt; Rev. Canon Bahig Ramzy, pastor of the Family Ministry; Rev. Dr. Yasser Koko, Assistant Bishop for the Sudanese Ministry; Rev. Emil Nabeih, pastor of Jesus Light of the World Episcopal Church in Old Cairo; Rev. Samir Dawood, pastor of the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in El-Salam City; Rev. Moody Habib, assistant priest at the Cathedral; and Salwa Sabry, Director of the Development Sector in the Diocese.
At the conclusion of the event, staff members of the center were honored in recognition of their continuous efforts and dedication to their work. The honoring acknowledged their outstanding contributions and effective role in the success of the center’s activities and its service to the community.
It is worth mentioning that the Episcopal Care Foundation for Social Services (Episcocare) serves as the developmental arm of the Anglican Episcopal Church in Egypt, managing the church’s social service and development centers and institutions across the country.