With the consent of the Bishops of the Synod of the Patriarchal Church of Alexandria of the Copts, and after consulting the Apostolic See, Patriarch Ibrahim Sedrak erected — in keeping with canon 85 CCEO — the Eparchy of Abu Qurqas, with the dismembered territory of the Eparchy of Minya.
At the same time, the Synod of the Patriarchal Church of Alexandria of the Copts elected as the first Bishop of the Eparchy of Abu Qurqas the Reverend Father Bechara Giuda, Franciscan at present parish priest of the Shrine of Saint Francis’ Stigmata in Assiut, to which the Holy Father gave his consent, reported the Holy See Press Office today, January 7, 2020.
Reverend Father Bechara Giuda
Was born on August 28, 1971, in Al-Nagila. He entered the Seraphic Seminary of Assiut in 1983 and made his first profession on September 1, 1996. He studied Philosophy in the Franciscan Seminary of Guizeh and, after his military service, Theology, first in the Patriarchal Seminary of Maadi, in Cairo, and then in Saint Paul University in Harissa, Lebanon.
After his solemn profession on March 23, 2001, he was ordained a priest on June 8 of the same year.
He has been parish priest, Adviser, and Director of the school of Kom Ombo in the Franciscan province of Egypt. Since 2010 he has been parish priest and Custodian of the Shrine of Saint Francis’ Stigmata in Assiut. In addition to Arabic, he speaks Italian.
