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Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States

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Coptic Church


Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States

The immigration of the Copts to the United States of America started as early as the late 1940s. After 1952, the rate of Coptic immigration from Egypt to the United States increased. The first Coptic church in the United States is St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, which was established in the late 1960s in Jersey City.

Contents

There are many Coptic Orthodox churches and Congregations in the United States. Estimated numbers of adherents, based on church membership, was between 350,000 and 420,000. Based on the estimates of certain Coptic organizations, the number was between 700,000 and one million in 2002. Currently, there are over 200 parishes in the United States that serve the expanding Coptic Orthodox population. The Church does have a large population when compared to other smaller Christian bodies, yet is among one of the least known Christian Churches and the least known large Orthodox bodies.

Bishops and Dioceses

There are eight Coptic Orthodox Bishops serving in the United States as of March 2017:

  • Serapion (b. 1951), Metropolitan of the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California & Hawaii & Abbot of the Monastery of St. Anthony in California (1995).
  • Youssef, Bishop of the Southern Diocese & Abbot of the Monastery of Most Holy Virgin Mary & Saint Moses the Strong in Corpus Christi, Texas.
  • Karas, General Bishop & Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.
  • David, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of New York and New England.
  • Michael, Suffragan Bishop of the Holy Suffragan Diocese of Alexandria and all Virginia, United States, assistant to the Pope.
  • Peter, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
  • Kyrillos, General Bishop & assistant to HE Metropolitan Serapion in the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, & Hawaii.
  • Abraham, General Bishop & assistant to HE Metropolitan Serapion in the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, & Hawaii.
  • For the Eritrean Orthodox Church congregation, Macarius, Bishop of the Eritrean Church in the USA. Member of the Eritrean Holy Synod.

    Extended Service Areas

    The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has Churches and congregations in the following regions

    Archdiocese of North America

    There are two General Bishops serving this Archdiocese, who are directly under the responsibility of the Pope of Alexandria:

  • Bishop Karas, General Bishop & Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.
  • Bishop Michael, Suffragan Bishop of the Holy Suffragan Diocese of Alexandria and all Virginia of the Archdiocese of North America, assistant to the Pope.
  • In the Archdiocese of North America, there are over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches. The following States and Districts are served under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese:

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii

    This Diocese is served by one metropolitan and two general bishops:

  • Metropolitan Serapion who is the first Metropolitan of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii.
  • Bishop Kyrillos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii.
  • Bishop Abraham, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii.
  • The Diocese has around 40 churches, a theological school (seminary) and a charity organization called Saint Verena Charity, named after the Coptic Saint Verena). The Diocese serves about 41 churches and has 17 Hegumen and 40 Presbyters. The Diocese of Los Angeles is based at 3803 W. Mission Blvd. Pomona, California 91766 USA.

    In California there are also the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in Barstow and the St. Paul Brotherhood in Murrieta that are also under the jurisdiction of Bishop Serapion.

    Diocese of Southern United States

    Bishop Youssef (Joseph) is the Bishop of the Diocese of Southern United States and also is the Abbot of the Monastery of Most Holy Virgin Mary & Saint Moses the Strong in Corpus Christi, Texas. As of May 2016 there were 39 Churches and 29 Communities in this diocese along with a convent in Dawsonville, Georgia, three theological schools (one located in the monastery discussed above, one in Nashville and one in the retreat center discussed next) and retreat center in Titusville. The diocese is headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex suburb of Colleyville, Texas.

    The territories covered under this diocese are in the following states (a number in parentheses indicates more than one Church in a city):

  • Alabama (Community in Birmingham; Community in Mobile)
  • Arizona (Churches (2) in Phoenix; Communities in Tucson, and Northern Arizona)
  • Arkansas (Community in Little Rock)
  • Florida (Churches in Clearwater, Daytona Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Maitland, Melbourne, Miami, New Port Richey, New Tampa, Orlando (2), Pensacola, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, and West Palm Beach; Communities in Destin, Gainesville, the Florida Keys, Panama City, Titusville, and Vero Beach)
  • Georgia (Churches (2) in Atlanta; Communities in Augusta, Macon, and Savannah)
  • Louisiana (Church in New Orleans; Communities in Lafayette and Shreveport)
  • Mississippi
  • New Mexico (Community in Albuquerque)
  • Oklahoma (Communities in Tulsa and Lawton)
  • Tennessee (Churches in Nashville (6); Communities in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis)
  • Texas (Churches in Austin, Arlington, Colleyville (co-located with Diocese Headquarters), Dallas, Euless, Houston (3), and San Antonio; Communities in Beaumont, College Station, Corpus Christi, and Lubbock)
  • Diocese of New York and New England

    Bishop David is the Bishop of the Diocese of New York and New England.

    As of March, 2017 the Diocese serves about 30 churches and has 18 Hegumen and 23 Presbyters. The territories covered under this diocese are in the following states:

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New York
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Diocese of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky

    Bishop Peter is the Bishop of the Holy Diocese of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky. He was ordained as a Bishop of this new Diocese on June 11, 2016.

    This diocese currently serves approximately 12 churches and has 8 Presbyters. The diocese is headquartered in St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church of Raleigh, NC. The territories covered in this diocese are in the following states:

  • South Carolina
  • North Carolina
  • Kentucky
  • Diocese of Eastern Midwest

    The Eastern Midwest Diocese was established on July 1, 2016 by Pope Tawadros II, in order to oversee service in the following states:

  • Ohio (5)
  • Michigan (5)
  • Indiana (1)
  • His Holiness has appointed the Most Reverend Hegumen Fr. Seraphim, El-Soriani to oversee the diocese. The diocese serves approximately 11 churches, several Coptic communities, and St. Mary and St John the Beloved convent in Warren, Ohio.

    References

    Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States Wikipedia