Our Clergy
"We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)
Father Arsanios Hanna
Fr. Arsanios was born in Shoubra, a suburb of Cairo, on March 21, 1961. He graduated from Ain-Shams Medical School in 1985 with a degree in Clinical Urology. He was ordained a priest in November of 1998. In June of 2006 Fr. Arsanios was transferred by H.H. Pope Shenouda III to the United States where he is currently serving the congregation of St. Mary in Seattle, WA.
Service and Theological Education
Fr. Arsanios started his service in 1980 as an Agnostos, a reader, at the Church of St. George in Hadaye Shoubra. In the same year after finishing his servants’ preparation course, Fr. Arsanios became a Sunday school servant for the high school group. In 1981 Fr. Arsanios organized and started a permanent youth meeting. He also established and became the editor in chief for religious magazine titled "Roots."
In 1995, Fr. Arsanios was nominated for priesthood at the church of St. John in Helmyet el Zatoun. However he refused the nomination because he felt that priesthood required much preparation and studying. Nevertheless, his father of confession advised him to attend the school of Theology. Following the advice of his father of confession, Fr. Arsanios was enrolled at the school of theology in 1995.
In 1996 during his second year at the school of theology, Fr. Arsanios was nominated for priesthood again by H.G. Bishop Benjamin. Fr. Arsanios refused again because he felt unprepared. Fr. Arsanios was nominated yet again for priesthood in 1997 by H.G. Bishop Athanasius. Again Fr. Arsanios refused because he had not completed his studies at the school of Theology. Fr. Arsanios graduated the school of theology in 1997 with honors as the valedictorian of his class. Fr. Arsanios was nominated again for priesthood along with two others in November of 1998. The three names were presented to H.H. Pope Shenouda, who chose Fr. Arsanios for priesthood on the 13th of November 1998.
Fr. Arsanios continued his pastoral education at the Coptic institute of Family Education in the year 2000. He attended the institute for 2 years, and passed with honors both years. He continued his education further in 2004 by attending the Coptic institute of Spiritual Family Counseling for 2 years. Again, Fr. Arsanios passed with honors both years.
Influential Figures
Fr. Arsanios is greatly influenced by H.H. Pope Shenouda III. He feels that “every word by His Holiness is a curriculum for learning,” he remembers it and lives by it. Fr. Arsanios received “the love of the word, preaching, and individual service” from H.H. Pope Shenouda. Fr. Arsanios always remembers His Holiness’ word, "There are two ways. Either the priest struggles and the people are comforted, or the people struggle and the priest is comforted."