Habib Girgis

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Archdeacon Habib Girgis (also Girguis, Guirguis, etc; Arabic for George) was a modern-day dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria.

He was the very first student for the modern-day Theological School, and was thus appointed to succeed his predecessor, Youssef Bey Mankarious, in the year 1918, as the second dean of the renewed center of theology.

Habib Girgis restructered the school significantly, as he had strived to do what he did eventually: to improve its academic standard.

He dedicated his life to the seminary and its improvement. Habib Girgis assisted the Pope in expanding its buildings in Mahmasha. Pope Kyrillos V often visited the seminary and blessed its students. This deacon was a skillful speaker. He accompanied the Pope in his pastoral visits to Upper Egypt and Sudan. He translated many religious books from foreign languages to Arabic and published El-Karma periodical, to spread the facts of the faith in a positive way. He published many books, among them were: The Seven Sacraments of the Church, The Consoler of the Faithful, The Mystery of Piety, and many others. He taught and nurtured many generations of clergymen who flourished in the church and filled it with their sermons and religious publications.

His term as dean ended with his death in 1951. However, Pope Yusab II appointed Father Ibrahim Attia later that year.

With Father Ibrahim, who did carry the work on, there were many new improvments in the years to come. This would eventually lead up to Bishop (now Pope) Shenouda's involvement as the current dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria.