Ayman Zohair was always a faithful son of the Church. He poured himself out for 15 years with Coptic Orphans and a number of the other services his diocese offered. For Coptic Orphans alone, he spent 10-20 hours every week visiting fatherless families in neighborhoods all around.
Then, one day Ayman took the 15 children he mentored for Coptic Orphans to see His Holiness, the late Pope Shenouda at a Cairo audience. The Pope asked the crowd for nominations to the priesthood.
The children submitted Ayman’s name, the crowd voted him in, and within the week His Holiness ordained him as Fr. Mikhail, making him the 20th Coptic Orphans Rep to become a priest.
Copts are a people of service. Coptic Orphans is a fruit of the teachings of the Church, and so fosters opportunities for Reps to put those teachings into practice by pouring themselves out for the fatherless.
His Grace Bishop Estefanos of Beba and El Fashn Dioceses in Middle Egypt says that church servants who also volunteer with Coptic Orphans display 8 skills that make the transition easy for those selected to become priests: organizing, documenting, problem solving, integrity, discretion, compassion, commitment, and holistic thinking.
The Church nurtures the virtues behind these traits, and Coptic Orphans, Her fruit, develops them in unity with the Church. Faithful sons and fathers like Fr. Mikhail are the fruit of both.