On Thursday 11 June His Grace Bishop Suriel along with the Registrar of Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College (SACOTC) Very Reverend Fr. Macarius Wahba, Fr. Daniel Ghobrial and Fr. Mark Attalla met with the Dean of the Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) Professor Paul Beirne, the Registrar of MCD Dr. Elizabeth Anderson and Dr. Duncan Reid (all pictured above). The meeting was held at the MCD office in Kew. The meeting was significant in that SACOTC submitted its application to the MCD to be a Recognised Teaching Institution within the MCD. If successful then SACOTC will be the first Orthodox Theological College to join the MCD and the first Coptic Orthodox Theological College in the world to be an accredited teaching institution.

The Coptic Orthodox Church has a rich tradition of education. This tradition dates as far back as the first century of Christianity at the time of Saint Mark the apostle who founded the Church of Alexandria in 55 AD and was martyred in the streets of Alexandria in the year 68 AD. It was Saint Mark who established the Catechetical School of Alexandria. This School became the oldest centre for sacred sciences in the history of Christianity. In it the first system of Christian theology was formed and the allegorical method of Biblical exegesis was devised. The School presented at first the whole series of academic studies, and then continued to moral and religious philosophy, and finally to Christian Theology.

At Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College, we highly value theological education, following in the footsteps of this rich tradition of Orthodoxy in Egypt. I encourage and welcome graduates of our two Coptic schools (St Mary and St Anthony) in Melbourne as well as university students and graduates, Sunday School teachers and youth leaders to enroll for theological studies at the College. Academic excellence and professionalism is our aim. We aim to bring up strong generations of Coptic Orthodox Christians who know their faith and can relate it to their children for future generations. I also encourage those with a keen interest in theology to advance their studies with further Masters and PhD studies. We hope and pray that Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College can receive accreditation through the MCD and hence offer degrees that would be widely recognized. I also hope that in the near future courses can be studied through the Internet for the benefit of those from interstate, New Zealand, Fiji, Pakistan and further abroad.

We ask for your prayers and support for this vital ministry which should be the basis of all our pastoral work. I truly believe that we are in dire need of a professional, academic and spiritual Theological College that is well administered with proper staff and blessed students. The future of our Diocese depends on this ministry for those that will lead our people in the future. It will be SACOTC that will produce future priests, monks, nuns, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, a theologically informed and educated Coptic community and future staff of the College. We encourage those that are thirsty to learn more about their Church and our rich faith and tradition to come and study with us. God bless you.