The

Copt Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Co ...

s began to immigrate to the United States as early as the late 1940s. Immigration to Canada was soon to follow, and in general, this was to be the case throughout

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

in the coming decades. With hundreds of

Coptic Orthodox churches Coptic architecture is the architecture of the Coptic Christians, who form the majority of Christians in Egypt. Coptic churches range from great cathedrals such as Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to the smallest churches in rural village ...

in the United States alone (along with over 90 congregations in Canada), it is estimated that there are over one million

Coptic Orthodox The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...

Christians in North America. While the Coptic Orthodox form a larger number in the US, the first Coptic Orthodox parish in North America was actually founded in Canada. In 1964
St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church
in

Toronto, Canada Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

was established. However, not too long afterwards, the first parish in the States, St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church (

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.St. Mary and St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Tlaycapan, Mexico
founded in 2001. Of the Coptic Orthodox parishes in the United States, there are currently over 200 churches that serve the expanding Coptic Orthodox population there. Florida is home to many Coptic Orthodox Christians, and there are currently 21 established churches throughout the state, in order to serve the large and growing Egyptian-Christian population arising all over the state. There are many churches in North America as well as several other churches and communities in Canada.

Episcopacy

Diocesan bishops

* Serapion (b. 1951), Metropolitan of the Holy Diocese of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and Abbot of the Monastery of St. Anthony in California (1995 - Present). * Youssef, Metropolitan of the Southern Diocese and Abbot of the Monastery of Most Holy Virgin Mary & Saint Moses the Strong in

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...

. (1995 - Present) * David, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of New York and New England. (2013 - Present) * Mina, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver & Western Canada. (2013 - Present) * Karas, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Pennsylvania and Affiliated Regions (2016 - Present) * Peter, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, and

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

(2017 - Present) * Saraphim, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana (2017 - Present) * Boules, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ottawa, Montréal & Eastern Canada. (2019 - Present)

General bishops

* Macarius, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch for the Eritrean Congregation in the USA. Member of the Eritrean and

Coptic Coptic may refer to: Afro-Asia * Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya * Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century * Coptic alphabet ...

Holy Synods. (1991 - Present) * Michael, General Bishop in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States, assistant to the Pope (2009 - Present) * Archelides, General Bishop in Toronto (GTA) and Central Canada, assistant to the Pope. (2022 - Present) * Gabriel, General Bishop in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and Patriarchal Exarch for the Archdiocese of North America, assistant to the Pope. (2022 - Present)

Auxiliary bishops

* Suriel, Former Bishop of the Diocese of Melbourne, currently serving as auxiliary to Metropolitan Serapion in the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii. (1997; 2018 - Present) *

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...

, Auxiliary Bishop and assistant to Metropolitan Serapion in the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii. (2016 - Present) * Kyrillos, Auxiliary Bishop and assistant to Metropolitan Serapion in the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii. (2016 - Present) * Basil, Auxiliary Bishop in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and assistant to Metropolitan Youssef in the Holy Diocese of the Southern United States. (2018 - Present) * Gregory, Auxiliary Bishop in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and assistant to Metropolitan Youssef in the Holy Diocese of the Southern United States. (2018 - Present)

Deceased hierarchs

* Karas, Bishop Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Antony the Great, in

Newberry Springs Newberry Springs is an unincorporated community in the western Mojave Desert of Southern California, located at the foot of the Newberry Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Newberry Spring is a spring that in the 19t ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. (1993 - 2002)

Dioceses

Archdiocese of North America

Before the establishment of any dioceses in the US and Canada, all churches were part of the Archdiocese of North America under the direct care of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, led by the

Pope of Alexandria The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ, translit=Papa; ar, البابا, translit=al-Bābā), also known as the Bishop of Alexandria, is the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, with ancient Christian roots in Egypt. The ...

, with the headquarters at Cedar Grove, New Jersey. All churches that are not under the jurisdiction of an established diocese are part of the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese serves around 74 congregations in US and 17 congregations in Canada. The Archdiocese is divided administratively over the following regions: Coptic Orthodox Dioceses of Canada

* Archdiocese of North America - New Jersey * Archdiocese of North America - Chicago & Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska) * Archdiocese of North America - Virginia * Archdiocese of Northern California and Western US * Archdiocese of Central Canada The Archdiocese is currently headed by

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, ...

. He is assisted by: * Bishop Macarius, as General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch for the Eritrean Congregation in the USA. (1991 - Present) * Bishop Michael, as General Bishop in

, United States. (2009 - Present) * Bishop Archelides, as General Bishop in Toronto (GTA) and Central Canada. (2022 - Present) * Bishop Gabriel, as General Bishop in

and Patriarchal Exarch for the Archdiocese of North America. (2022 - Present)

Dioceses in Canada

In addition to the Archdiocese of North America, there are two dioceses in Canada, serving around 53 congregations. These are: * Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver & Western Canada * Diocese of Ottawa, Montréal & Eastern Canada

Dioceses in the United States

In addition to the Archdiocese of North America, there are six dioceses in the United States, serving around 213 congregations. These are: * Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii * Diocese of the Southern United States * Diocese of New York and New England * Diocese of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky * Diocese of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana * Diocese of Pennsylvania and Affiliated Regions

References

External links

North America Coptic Orthodox ArchdioceseCoptic Orthodox Church Listings & StatisticsCoptic Orthodox Church Directory (Canada & US)Coptic Church ListingsCoptic Centre in CanadaCoptic Organizations & LinksSt. Mary and St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church (Mexico)

Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George (Brooklyn)Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los AngelesCoptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coptic Orthodox Church In North America Coptic Orthodox Church in North America, Eastern Christianity in North America