St. Habib Girgis

OBJECTIVE

Contemplate and understand St. Habib Girgis' life and why he became known as the pioneer of Coptic religious and theological education and how he was a light in a time of intellectual darkness in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 12 Minutes

Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)

Short clip introducing the life of Habib Girgis by Bishop Suriel (4 minutes)

The video by Bishop Suriel highlights some of the most important contributions St. Habib Girgis made to the Coptic Orthodox Church.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

St. Habib Girgis, in one of his earliest sermons, posed the following question: "Is there anyone among us who is capable of responding to those who ask him about his religion and why he is Christian? I am sure that most of us do not have an answer, except to say that we were born from Christian parents and hence we are Christian." And so his determination to spread religious education began.

Bishop Suriel writes, "Girgis' innate sense of social justice convinced him that everyone deserves an education. He worked to combat literacy...and the need to educate women" in his book Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness.

Memory Verse "The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." (Proverbs 18:15, NKJV)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

St. Archdeacon Habib Girgis was born in 1876 in Cairo. Little is known about his childhood, but we do know that Habib's father died when he was six years old. His mother Miriam enrolled him in the Great Coptic School where he completed his elementary and secondary education. Soon after, St. Habib was among the first to enroll in the Coptic Orthodox Seminary established by Pope Kyrillos V and it would become essential to his works later on.

Though the Seminary lacked courses on theology and had an inadequate curriculum, Habib still persevered in his education. He educated himself through reading and researching books from the Patriarchal Library and learning from Father Philotheos who was the only well-read Coptic preacher of his time.

During his last year in the seminary, he was appointed to teach a religion class and after graduation, he would go on to hold a full-time position teaching theology and homiletics (the art of preaching). Habib was a very bright and astute student. His first sermon (discussed in the Holy Scripture section) was published and distributed in the Misr Newspaper for thousands to read. His sermon reflected the current ignorance and lack of religious education in the Coptic community. He highlighted three main sections: how Christianity began, what its benefits and effects are on the world, and what the characteristics of a true Christian are. He also detailed the era of great martyrs in which the church suffered mass persecution under the Roman rulers to bring shame to the listeners and inspire them to return the church to its former glory.

He also set out to eradicate illiteracy among clergymen. For centuries, Coptic priesthood had been hereditary. A priest would automatically hand his church post to one of his sons, whether or not that son had any education beyond the ability to recite the Liturgy. He strongly believed that no man should be ordained a priest without completing formal theological studies and this is evident today as a prerequisite for the priesthood.

In the 1890s, St. Habib Girgis began teaching religion to children in Cairo and established a simple catechism (series of simply-put questions and answers) which marked the beginning of the Sunday School movement. He designed its curriculum, and the Seminary and Sunday School became one educational entity under his leadership.

In the 1900s, he founded the Society of Love whose focus was to serve Coptic youth and teach Christian faith to students at government schools. In 1909, he wrote his book, Summary of Faith Fundamentals, in three volumes for elementary schools. It was well-received by teachers and students. In 1937, he wrote eight new books in a series, Orthodox Christian Principles, to suit elementary and secondary schools. Later, he wrote three books in another series, Precious Treasure of Holy History. These became the formal textbooks in both government and Coptic schools. He also communicated with authorities in the Ministry of Education to increase attention to religious education. The society also educated girls in poverty by setting up a small school that operated at no cost to the students. Two other societies formed named Society of Coptic Faith and Society of Friends of the Bible and their purpose was to serve all of Egypt's Coptic community by spreading the faith among Copts, establishing schools for boy and girls, building infirmaries and hospitals, and alleviating poverty since there were not enough churches to take on this role.

St. Habib Girgis chose to lead a celibate life and was ordained an archdeacon (one step below priesthood) by 1912. He was the personal archdeacon and disciple to Pope Kyrillos V who went on to appoint Archdeacon Habib as dean of the Coptic Orthodox Seminary in 1918. He was known as an energetic administrator, prominent theologian professor, and leading Coptic theologian of his time. At the young age of 22, he was the one who advanced the Seminary; he bought its land in Mahmasha and built a magnificent building for it. Besides adding many courses in religion, he introduced courses in logic, philosophy, psychology, Hebrew, and Greek. He also increased emphasis on the study of Arabic, English, Coptic, history, and church hymns, which was taught by al-Mu'allim Mikhail, the chief cantor of the church. He established the School for Cantors attached to the seminary.

In 1941, he held the first Sunday Teacher Conference where 400 teachers attended. In other words, it took 40 years to get 400 teachers to work in Sunday School. The pioneers of the Sunday School movement were fully devoted to God and their service. As a new movement in the church, the Sunday School movement faced many obstacles. St. Habib Girgis did not lose hope; rather, he was so determined. However, the Sunday School movement has prevailed because of the devotion and the persistence of Habib Girgis and his companions. As a result of this inflaming fire of love in the hearts of Sunday School teachers, many dedicated their lives to Christ. Waves of youth went to the monasteries to start a dedicated monastic life or to priesthood or to work as dedicated servants.

St. Archdeacon Habib Girgis was a gifted writer. He published over 30 religious books and wrote sermons as well as songs and melodies for the children in Sunday School. He was a profound journalist and began a famous religious, moral and historical journal called Al Karma (The Vine) in which he published many powerful articles on topics including translations of patristic literature, research in church canon law, science, and religion, biblical studies, doctrine, and theology. Each issue included a deeply spiritual sermon by the teacher St. Habib Girgis. One of Habib Girgis' disciples said this about the journal, "If you can read seventeen volumes of The Vine, you will find wisdom and philosophy, deep spirituality, science and religion combined together, theology and history, legislation and law, news and comments."

St. Habib Girgis was known as a meek, simple, and kind-hearted servant whose eloquent yet authoritative voice and opinions made him a revered servant in the church. He was fair and compassionate, and never bore a grudge against those who resisted his efforts at educational reform. St. Archdeacon Habib passed away on August 21, 1951. His contributions to the church were officially recognized when the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod canonized him as a saint of the church. St. Habib Girgis is and will always be remembered as the pioneer of religious education in our land in modern history. He was not only a teacher but a school. Importantly, he was a symbol for positive work in the church, a symbol for the love of education, a symbol for meekness, zeal, and many virtues.

Pope Shenouda III said the following about St. Habib Girgis, "Habib Girgis established a strong foundation, and many built upon it. Perhaps others were able to build higher, but without his foundation, they would not have been able to build at all. He was the one who labored and all of us have entered into his labor."

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

What are some examples of Habib Girgis' contributions to the Coptic Church that we see in the service today?
Why is education so important to our church and society?
How can we advance our knowledge and understanding of the church?
In what ways do you sacrifice for your education (beyond time, money, energy)?

LIFE APPLICATION - 10 Minutes

St. Habib Girgis made it his life's mission to spread education throughout all of Egypt. He had a famous saying " the greatest need for any community, after bread, is education."

St. Habib Girgis' yearning to learn about the Coptic Church is something we need to emulate in our own lives. I challenge you to pick up a book, listen to a sermon, watch a video, or enroll in an online course, and answer the three questions Habib Girgis asked in his first lecture: 1) How did Christianity begin? 2) What are its benefits and effects on the world? 3) What are the characteristics of true Christians?

St. Archdeacon Habib gave us the answer to question 3 and we ought to apply it in our life, that is, to be Christ-like, to be saintly and pure, to be a light to the world, and to walk according to the vocation to which one is called.

ACTIVITY - 5 Minutes

Have kids go into the bookstore and choose a book on patristics, theology, or history of the church OR if possible find a publication from Habib Girgis' journal "The Vine" and read it.

SERVANT RESOURCES

Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and Light in the Darkness by Bishop Suriel
Presentation - Archdeacon Habib Girgis

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Parents should ask students to summarize this week's lesson.

Parents encourage kids to read small books about the history of the church.