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We need your help!
Together, we have the power to make a real difference. You can donate through:
E-transfer:
Name: Saint Mark & Saint George Coptic Orthodox Church.
Email: donationssmsgregina2@gmail.com
Thank You & God Bless!
The Coptic Orthodox Church was founded in Alexandria around 61 A.D. by St. Mark the Evangelist, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It upholds the Nicene Creed as a core tenet of its faith. St. Athanasius (296–373 A.D.), the 20th Pope of the Coptic Church, played a crucial role in defending the doctrine of Christ’s divinity at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. His steadfast commitment to this doctrine earned him the titles “Father of Orthodoxy” and “St. Athanasius the Apostolic.”
The word “Coptic” originates from the Greek term “Aigyptos,” meaning “Egyptian.” When the Arabs arrived in Egypt during the seventh century, they referred to the Egyptians as “qibt,” a word that eventually came to signify both “Egyptians” and “Christians.”
“Orthodoxy” in this context refers to the steadfast preservation of the original Christian faith by the Copts, who have consistently defended the ancient creed against various challenges throughout history.
The Coptic Orthodox Church affirms the belief in the Holy Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—as three equal persons united in one essence. It proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ as the sole Savior of the world. The Church has experienced minimal changes in both doctrine and ritual compared to other Christian denominations, and it maintains an unbroken line of succession among its Patriarchs, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
Below are some helpful links to explore for a deeper understanding of the Coptic Orthodox Church:
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His father was an irrigation engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour.
He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a manager in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health.
His Holiness’s life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E.
Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children’s festival as well when he was in charge of the children’s committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.
His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches.
His Grace Bishop Mina was born on September 30th, 1952 in Cairo, Egypt. He was educated in Egypt. After finishing the military service, he immigrated to Yellowknife, NT, in the beginning of 1977. In 1978 he moved to Edmonton, AB, and joined the University of Alberta for a degree in Accounting. In Dec1980 he decided to join the Monastery of Saint Mina (Mariout, Western Desert near Alexandria, Egypt) and in March 1984 he was ordained a monk by the name of Fr. Paphnotius Avva Mina.
In 2003 he was ordained a priest. He was called to serve as a priest in Ireland where he served for five and half years and built Saint Mina’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Cahir, Munster, Ireland. He was the last bishop to be ordained by the His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, of thrice-blessed memory on June 6th, 2009 as a general bishop. In April 2010, he was appointed a general bishop over the churches of Old Cairo, Manyal and Fom El-Khalig in Cairo, Egypt. He was nominated by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III to become a bishop in Canada.
In March 10th, 2013 he was officially delegated by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II as the Diocesan Bishop of Mississauga, Vancouver and all the surrounding cities, towns and villages. His Grace Bishop Mina was enthroned in Mississauga, ON on Sunday, April 7th, 2013 and in Vancouver, BC on Sunday, April 13th, 2013.
Father Samuel Metry was born in Egypt on March 17, 1979. He completed his early education at Saint Maronite School in AlDaher and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (2002) followed by a Master’s degree in Clinical Pathology (2006) from Ain Shams University.
Responding to a spiritual calling, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 9, 2015. This marked the beginning of his dedicated service to the Church alongside his theological studies. He earned a Diploma in the Holy Bible (2015–2017) and a Diploma in Apologetics (2017–2018) from the Institute of Pastoral Care and Education under the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Cairo. He further advanced his theological education by obtaining a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics from Holy Sophia University on September 10, 2024, where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Theological Studies.
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