The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England, also referred to as the Coptic Diocese of New York, is a
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
. It was founded in 2013 and encompasses the states of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
,
,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
and
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
in the United States of America. The diocese's first and current
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
is
His Grace
His Grace or Her Grace is an English Style (manner of address), style used for various high-ranking personages. It was the style used to address English monarchs until Henry VIII and the Scottish monarchs up to the Act of Union (1707), Act of Unio ...
Bishop David.
History
Early community
Coptic Immigration to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of these early immigrants came on temporary scholarships and education visas, as the
National Origins Formula
National Origins Formula is an umbrella term for a series of qualitative immigration quotas in America used from 1921 to 1965, which restricted immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere on the basis of national origin. These restrictions included l ...
used by the United States at the time barred Egyptians, among other non-Northern Europeans, from becoming US Citizens.
After the full implementation of the
1965 Immigration Act, the restrictions set forth by the National Origins Formula were repealed and Copts were able to gain entry into the United States with permanent resident status. Many Copts thus immigrated to the USA in search of religious freedom, political stability, and economic opportunity.
By the 1970s, many of those newly immigrated Copts had settled in New York and
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
, and their numbers continued to grow as the years went on.
For many years, the few Coptic
churches there were administered by the
Archdiocese of North America (which is under the auspices of the
Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church). Bishop David, the current bishop of the diocese, had formerly served only as a general bishop in New England under the aforementioned archdiocese for several years, formally under
Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III (; cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲅ̅ '; ar, بابا الإسكندرية شنودة الثالث '; 3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria, 117th ...
.
Diocese
By the 2010s, the Coptic population had grown sufficiently large to support an independent diocese.
Pope Tawadros II
Pope Tawadros II or Theodore II ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲑⲉⲟ́ⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲙⲁϩ ⲃ̅', translit=Papa Abba Theódōros II ; ar, البابا تواضروس الثاني, translit=al-Bābā Tawāḍurūs al-Th ānī, ...
created the Diocese of New York and New England out of the geographic areas written in the name of the diocese; its territory was taken from the Archdiocese of North America.
Pope Tawadros called upon Bishop David, to be diocesan bishop for the diocese in a two-day ceremony from November 16–17, 2013, in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Egypt.
An official
enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite.
...
ceremony for Bishop David took place on 7 December 2013 at
St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church in
Woodbury Woodbury may refer to:
Geography
Antarctica
*Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory
Australia
* Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
England
* Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset
*Woodbury, East Devo ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
As a diocesan bishop, Bishop David has the authority to ordain priests for the diocese's churches, in accordance with the needs and capabilities of the respective church congregations.
The current Seat of the bishopric is located at the Saint Mina and Pope Kyrillos VI Cathedral in
Chestnut Ridge, New York
Chestnut Ridge is a village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of the state of New Jersey, east of Airmont, south of Spring Valley, and west of Nanuet. The population was 7,916 at the 2010 census.
...
.
Demographics
Current parishes
Parishes
Connecticut
* Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church,
Hamden
* The Holy Theotokos and Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
* St. Peter and St. Andrew Coptic Orthodox Church,
Stamford
* St. Mary and St. Moses the Strong Coptic Orthodox Church,
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
Maine
* St. Pishoy and St Karas Coptic Orthodox Church,
Brewer, Maine
Brewer is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after its first settler, Colonel John Brewer. The population was 9,672 at the 2020 census.
Brewer ...
Massachusetts
* St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church,
Natick
Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...
* St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church,
Scituate
* St. Paul and St. John Chrysostom Coptic Orthodox Church,
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
* The Holy Family Coptic Orthodox Church,
Attleboro
* St. Philopateer and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church,
Wayland
*St. Mary and St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church,
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
*St. Mary and St. Tomas Coptic Orthodox Church,
Gardner
* St. Shenouda and St. Karas Coptic Orthodox Church,
Linwood Linwood may refer to:
Places
Many of the place names for Linwood come from the presence of linden trees. Australia
*Linwood, South Australia
* Linnwood, Guildford, 11-35 Byron Road, Guildford, New South Wales
Canada
* Linwood, Ontario
* Linwood, ...
* Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard (El-Karma),
Charlton
New Hampshire
* St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church,
Nashua Nashua may refer to:
* Nashaway people, Native American tribe living in 17th-century New England
Places
In Australia:
* Nashua, New South Wales
In the United States:
* Nashua, California
* Nashua, Iowa
* Nashua, Minnesota
* Nashua, Kansas City ...
New York
* Archangel Michael and St. Mena Coptic Orthodox Church,
Great Kills
Great Kills is a neighborhood within the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located on the island's South Shore, and according to many local geographers, it is the South Shore's northernmost community. It is bordered by Richmondtow ...
(
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
)
*
St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church,
Woodbury Woodbury may refer to:
Geography
Antarctica
*Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory
Australia
* Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
England
* Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset
*Woodbury, East Devo ...
(
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
)
* St. George Coptic Orthodox Church,
Astoria (
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
)
*
St. George Coptic Orthodox Church,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
* St. Helena and St. Anasimone Coptic Orthodox Church,
Flushing
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushing ...
(Queens)
* St. Mary and St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church,
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
* St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church,
West Henrietta
*
St. Mary and St. Antonios Coptic Orthodox Church,
Ridgewood (Queens)
* St. Mary and St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church,
White Plains
* St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church,
Albany
* St. Mary and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church,
Syracuse
* St. Mary and St. Moses the Black Coptic Orthodox Church,
North Tonawanda
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 31,568 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Tonawanda Creek, its south bo ...
* Virgin Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church,
Tottenville (Staten Island)
* Virgin Mary and St. Pachomius Coptic Orthodox Church,
Stony Point
* Saint Mina and Pope Kyrillos VI Cathedral,
Chestnut Ridge
* Saint Mary Christian Center Todt Hill,
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
* Holy Apostles Coptic Orthodox Church,
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
Rhode Island
*St. Mary and St. Mena Coptic Orthodox Church,
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
*St. Mary and St. Mena Coptic Orthodox Church,
Cranston
Vermont
* St. Mary and Archangel Raphael Coptic Orthodox Church,
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
Communities and missions
Coptic Orthodox communities and missions are congregations of Copts who gather for religious services but do not have a sufficient number of people to support a full parish.
Connecticut
* Coptic Community,
Waterbury
Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 202 ...
New York
* St. Peter and St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Mission,
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
Monastery
The diocese had previously announced plans to formally establish a monastery in the Boston region, under the name of Virgin Mary & Pope Kyrillos VI in Charlton, Massachusetts. This would be the first monastery to be established in the diocese, and the third in North America. It would also be the first monastery in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church to be named after
Saint Pope Kyrillos VI. As of September 2022, plans for this monastery are currently set for it to be established in
Dover Plains, New York
Dover Plains is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,323 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area.
D ...
, under the same name.
Response to allegations of sexual abuse
In response to allegations of sexual abuse within neighboring dioceses,
on July 22, 2020, the diocese announced that it would be working to prevent sexual abuse. Further, they stated " If anyone is aware of any suspected incident of sexual abuse of a minor by any such person, we urge you to immediately report to law enforcement and also to your Regional Vicar..." They further stated that they will put in all efforts to curb such conduct.
References
{{coord, 40.59968, -74.11426, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title
Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States
Oriental Orthodox dioceses in the United States
Christian organizations established in 2013