» Cesar Iskandar Bandali, born in El Mina, 1929.
» His father died in 1941, leaving five children, the eldest of which, Costi, was sixteen years old.
» He was raised in a believing and committed family.
» His youngest brother, Marcel, died at the age of 35 .
» He finished the primary, intermediate and secondary studies at the ‘college des fères’.
» He was one of those who met with Bishop George Khodr in 1944 when the Orthodox Youth Movement started to spread in El Mina. At that time, he was about to finish his intermediate school studies.
» He took part in the activities of the OYM and performed a lot of duties within its framework.
» Influenced by the antiochian spiritual renewal, he decided to join the clerical life. He was ordained deacon on 28th of August 1959 at the monastery of Deir Al Harf.
» His ordination as priest, by the late bishop Elias Karam, took place on the 6th of September 1959, in St. George cathedral in El Mina.
» Holding a B.S. in Physics, he taught at St Elias high school and was appointed to be its principal in 1957.
» He entered the institute of theology in 1971 and graduated with a theological diploma in 1975.
» He served as priest in Markabta, Karabesh and then in El Mina.
» In 1980, he was elected bishop by the Holy Synod, so he served as vicar of the patriarch Ignatius IV.
» On 26th of January 1983 he was appointed bishop on Akkar.
» He founded a number of institutions as well as health and social associations such as the Orthodox Technical School, St. Paul Center for global services, and St George Center for health and social services. The most prominent project he achieved is the founding of the National Orthodox School in 1984, which, in no time, became the first ranked school in Akkar, and one of the most important schools in Lebanon.
» Under his wing, Akkar witnessed a spiritual, intellectual and cultural renaissance. He was the accompanier of the Orthodox youth Movement in Akkar and a great supporter and guide for its members. In addition to that, he launched the parish councils, accompanied their meetings and helped a lot in organizing their work.
» He wrote many books, of which ‘A Pastor’s Word to His Parish, ‘Letter of a Pastor’, and number of University courses which he taught at the theological institute of Balamand, in addition to articles written in Al Bishara weekly newsletter issued by the diocese of Akkar.
» He died on the 3rd of June 2008.
Note: You can check additional pictures for Bishop Boulous Bandaly under his dedicated Album section.