Sheraton-Heliopolis is the name of a newer suburb of Cairo, one that did not even exist a few decades ago. The Catholic Church has established a pastoral center here, named the Diakonia Development Center, to serve the various pastoral and social needs of the Catholic parish community.
"I no longer feel safe and I am terrified for the safety and future of my grandchildren and sons. Fear keeps me up late every night. I want my children and grandchildren to leave Egypt."
"What struck us most was the vigor and beauty of the faith of the Coptic Christians of Egypt, who—despite the attacks, despite the terror created by the actions of the fundamentalist Islamist groups—do not cease to flock to their places of worship.”
The Catholic Parish of Minya in Egypt is still young. It was only in 2012 that the local authorities finally granted a building permit for a church in a new suburb of the city.
Father Samir Khalil Samir, an Egyptian Jesuit priest and noted specialist in Islam, teaches at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Rome. He spoke with international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need on the eve of the visit of Pope Francis to Egypt.