Posted on: April 5, 2019 2:58 PM

The Bishop of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, Mouneer Anis, has announced the appointment of the first female canon in the Diocese. Mrs Alexandra Wakid will be licensed as the first female Lay Canon at All Saints’ Cathedral in Cairo, next Friday (12 April) “in honour of her many years of dedicated service to the Diocese”, Bishop Mouneer said. Her late husband, Mr Ibrahim “Abee” Wakid, was the first Egyptian Lay Reader ever to be licensed within the Diocese. He also later served as a Lay Canon.

Mrs Wakid grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, and graduated from the University of St Andrews. She moved to London to work as a research economist with an inter-governmental organisation before moving to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) – the UK government’s diplomatic ministry – a year later. She served as a British diplomat in a number of postings, including Sofia, Paris, The Hague and Cairo.

“Her connection to Cairo and to All Saints’ Cathedral goes back 28 years”, Bishop Mouneer said. “Alexandra left her official career work when she married Abee Wakid in 1994. They were married in All Saints’ Cathedral.”

For the past ten years, Alexandra has served as Bishop Mouneer’s Consultant for International Relations, and, in that capacity, has been at the forefront of negotiations with the FCO for the return of church property in Algiers, which had been held by the FCO for 21 years. On 27 February this year, an agreement was signed restoring the property to the diocese, with a financial settlement.

Bishop Mouneer asked for prayers for the new Lay Canon as she prepares for next week’s licensing service.