The MECC Secretary General Visits the Anba Stephanos House for Elderly Priests in Maadi - Cairo, Which Is Considered An "Oasis of Humanity"

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Maadi, Cairo, February 16, 2025

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs continued his visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt. This visit comes as part of his participation in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for the year 2025, entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26).

Following his tour at the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Maadi - Cairo, Professor Michel Abs, His Grace Bishop Thomas Adly, Pastor of the Coptic Catholic Diocese of Giza, Fayoum and Beni Suef, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC Lea Adel Maamary, headed to the Anba Stephanos House for Elderly Priests - Maadi - Cairo.

They were received by the Head of the House Sister Souad Nohra, amidst great love and warmth, as it was the first visit made by the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs to the House of Anba Stephanos. During the visit, Professor Michel Abs was informed about the services provided by the House of Anba Stephanos, the humanitarian mission it devotes, and the care it presents for the elderly Priests, along with the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross, following in the footsteps of our Father Yaacoub the Capuchin, adopting the Cross as its emblem.

Regarding the details of the establishment of the Anba Stephanos House for the Elderly Priests in Maadi, the Head of the house Sister Souad Nohra, said:

"The Franciscan Sisters of the Cross Association was founded in 1930 by the Blessed Father Yaacoub the Capuchin, who adopted the Cross as his emblem so that the Cross would be also the emblem of the Association, its protector and leader.

Hence, the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross Association devoted their lives to the work of mercy, meeting the needs of the Church, helping the needy, people with special needs, the abandoned, the blind, those outcasts from society, and other humanitarian causes for which the Order was founded.

Among the charisma that characterized the Order, the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross Association chose Anba Stephanos House for Elderly Priests in Maadi, Cairo, as a humanitarian example to serve Priests with unlimited giving, similar to its work in all places where the Association is present and carries out its humanitarian mission with honesty and belonging."

She continued:

“Anba Stephanos House began its work when the Nuns started their mission in 1988, and the idea of establishing the Anba Stephanos House came from the idea of Jesus the King - Lebanon, where the Late Patriarch Stephanos II visited the House and contemplated the work of the Nuns. He was amazed by their pioneering humanitarian role in serving the Elderly Priests. Then the idea was launched in Maadi - Cairo in coordination with the General Presidency of the Monastery in Lebanon. The location of the House was chosen near the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Maadi, so that this location would become an oasis and a space for the Priests to meet with the youth and all the residents and visitors of Anba Stephanos House and the Seminary.”

Regarding the care for Priests, Sister Souad explained: “Caring for the elderly Priest is honoring him after his retirement and service in the Church, as our Father Yaaoub wanted to honor the Priests in their old age, and thus this House came to meet the needs of the Church, society and individuals.

The House’s activities are diverse. It includes: focusing on acts of mercy, nursing, health services and care for the Priest at the highest levels, as well as spiritual services: daily Mass, Praying the Rosary, holding conferences and Spiritual Retreats, social, cultural and recreational activities inside and outside the House.

Moreover, what distinguishes Anba Stephanos House is the visits of youth to exchange their experiences with the Priests and take from them spiritual guidance due to their Ecclesiastical and Spiritual experience. This is in addition to participating in the Lord’s Feasts and students listening to the Priests presenting their experiences.”

Sister Souad Nohra added: "The House is like a beehive through the care and vigilance of three Nuns who work faithfully and silently, and are devoted to their Monastic mission in order to bring a smile to the faces of the Priests."

It can be said:

"Women's vocations are still well present and play their role as a beacon that illuminates humanity in all its aspects."