Part Three: The young deacon travelled the land, visiting church after another, preaching and enthusing the people about building the theological college, proving to all the importance of such an institution. He returned at the end of the trip with the considerable sum of eleven thousand pounds, half of which was donated by the bishops and the other half by the congregations. With that effort, the Pope was able to buy a large house in an area called Mahmasha, near the suburb of Shoubra which became house for the fledgling college.

The Pope commissioned a fine learned man, Youssef Mankarius, to be its first principal. Habeeb Guirguis was the first of twelve applicants who sought to become its first graduates. Because of his exceptional aptitude, and also due to a lack of eligible teachers, Habeeb was also asked to teach and thus he was both a student and a teacher in the college at the same time.

On the 17th. of March 1898, upon graduating from the college, Habeeb was appointed Master of Scripture at the college. And because of the Pope's great admiration of his talents, he also appointed him as a lay preacher. His first sermon, entitled "The Christian Religion" was given in one of the halls of the "Great Coptic School". Amongst the listeners was Shenouda El Mankabadi, owner of "Misr" newspaper, who was so impressed by the young man's sermon that he printed thousands of copies at his own expense and distributed them to the people after seeking Habeeb's permission.

On another occasion, the young man was asked to give a sermon in the church of the Archangel Gabriel in Haret-el Sakkayeen in the presence of the Pope. The saintly Pope was so enthralled by the brilliance of his young deacon that he stood throughout the sermon, blessing the congregation as they listened, his face beaming with joy.