Security sources said that the national security sector prevented a terrorist attack on a church in Naga Hammadi, north of the province of Qena. The terrorist Mohammed Saleh was arrested while transforming explosives to bomb the Church of St. Mary in Naga Hammadi. Extra security measures have been taken in the city and the matter is currently under investigation to reveal the rest of the terrorist cell related to the planned attack.

Copts in Fayoum governorate expressed their anger over the decision of Fayoum University to schedule exams during the Coptic feasts which prevents the Coptic students from celebrating the feasts with their families. The exams were scheduled on Palm Sunday and Easter, which was described as discrimination and intransigence.

Muslims and Christians participated for the first time together in celebration of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Director General of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Rifat Bader, said that such initiatives are not new in Jordan in which all religions live in peace. The Annunciation is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, which is similar to the story embraced by Muslims in the holy Quraan.

Few days after he returned to his diocese, Abba Abraam, bishop of Fayoum, casted his vote in the prudential election. He called all Egyptians to participate in the elections and perform such important duty for a better future at the homeland.

Extremists in Qena demonstrated promising to demolish the newly licensed church after they heard it was legalized according to the law of houses of worship. St. Mary Church in Tod was recently legalized, but the neighbors demonstrated against the decision and stoned houses of the Copts in the village.

Coptic students at Fayoum University expressed their happiness and gratitude over changing exams schedule to avoid having them on Christian feasts. The old schedule had exams on April 1st and 8th which coincide with Palm Sunday and Easter feasts.

Families of Coptic martyrs of Libya received a phone call by the Samalut Prosecution in Minya which informed them of the imminent arrival of the bodies of their sons. The y expressed their happiness over new about the arrival of the dead bodies of the martyrs in few days.

Families of martyrs of Libya appealed to the government to return the dead bodies of their sons to their hometown in Upper Egypt. A church was built on the name of the martyrs in Awr village which was opened last February where a special shrine was prepared to bury their bodies in. It is worth mentioning that three years have passed since the martyrs were slain on Libyan shores, but the Egyptian government hasn t brought their bodies back yet.

The trial of 25 accused of burning the houses of a number of the Copts of the Karm village, Abu Qurqas in May 2016 was postponed for April 14 after a request of the Coptic defense to join the case of stripping a Coptic old lady and drag her nude in the streets to the same case. On May 20, 2016, the angry mobs attacked Coptic hosues and stripped an old lady off in the streets over a rumor about a romantic relationship between a Coptic man and a Muslim woman.

Lawyer of Eid Attia, the Coptic man accused of building a church without permit in Atfih, said that courts will be brought on April 2nd. The Coptic man was sentenced to a suspended sentence and a fine of 360,000 pounds, while 19 Muslim defendants were charged with six gathering and assaulting others and carrying weapons were fined only 500 pounds.

Misdemeanors court of Giza issued suspended sentences against all defendants in the case of Atfih church attack including one Coptic man who was accused of building unlicensed church. However, the Coptic man was fined 360.000 LE while 18 Muslim assailants were fined only 500 LE each for attacking Coptic properties. Lawyer of the Coptic man said he was shocked at the court ruling and described it as unfair.

The Halim Time & Glass Museum was opened with the participation of Abba Angelos, general Coptic bishop of America and several clergy and officials. Founder of the museum believes it is the world s first museum dedicated solely to clocks and stained glass. It s been an 11-year labor of love for hobbyist Cameel Halim, along with his wife, Hoda, and three daughters. Halim said that the museum features 1,100 clocks from around the globe and 80 stained glass pieces—some as tall as 25 feet—in a five-story building at 1560 Oak St. in Evanston.

Father Poulos Al Rayani was released today from Minya prison after he spent two years for being found guilty by court in attacking a public employee. The monk will be transferred to Youssef Seddik police station to complete the procedures of his release.

After a Coptic Smith demanded the price of his work, 3 houses of Copts were attacked in Dawar village, Behira governorate.

Egyptian Cabinet approved the disbursement of financial assistance to victims of terrorist attack on St. Mina Coptic church on December 29th.

The funeral of the latest Coptic Martyr Bassem Shehata Harzallah, was held on Sunday at his hometown of Suhag.

The Celebrity Foundation organized an international conference on the journey of the Holy Family in the presence of several experts of tourism, archeology and media.

After it was closed for 4 month, the church of St. Mary in Sheikh Alaa village, Minya, was opened to celebrate Christmas among joy of its congregations. The church has applied for legalization process according to the new law of building churches.

Egyptian president issued a presidential decree to officially appoint Youssef Absi the patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Egypt. The Patriarch who was born in Syria in 1946 was also granted the Egyptian citizenship by president Abudl Fattah al-Sisi.

Al-Azhar institute condemned the terrorist attack on the Church of Nigeria that killed and wounded 21 Christians. Statement of Al-Azhar denounced all sorts of violence assuring its rejected by Islam. It also called the international society to face these extremist groups and spread the culture of peaceful coexistence.

After the murder of two Copt by unknown gunmen next to a liquor store, police took extra security measures to secure churches of Omrania. Police moved extra security forces to secure the churches and opened investigation in the attack.