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 ...
: //
transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...
: ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Markos'') is notably the first
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 ...
parish and church building in
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 ...
Toronto, Ontario
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 ...
, Canada) which is considered the first parish in
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 ...
St. Mark's Church was first founded from the late 1960s, although the actual date of incorporation was 1970.Church (Retrieved 17-07-2008) The large influx of
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 in New Jersey can be attributed to their persecution in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, in addition to those who emigrate seeking educational and financial opportunities. Currently, there are more than 30,000 Copts in Jersey City alone.
Expansion
Coptic Orthodox Christians, who adhere to an ancient Christian faith rooted in Egypt in the first century, have established a presence throughout New Jersey over the last several decades. Being the first Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States, St. Mark's in Jersey City was founded by early Egyptian immigrants, and the congregations have since grown in allowing 15 other parishes in New Jersey alone.
The year 1977 marked the first pastoral visit by
Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III (; cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲅ̅ '; ar, بابا الإسكندرية شنودة الثالث '; 3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See ...
to the US and Canada, including St. Mark's Church in Jersey City. Ten years later, in January 1987, the church building was newly refitted and consecrated.
Priests
St. Mark Church had several priests over the decades, including one who died in the early 1990s. The first liturgy was celebrated in St. Mark's Church on March 22, 1970, by the late Fr. Rafael Younan who was a resident priest in Montreal since 1968.
There are currently three priests that serve St. Mark's Church. Fr. Abraam Sleman was ordained as a priest on June 18, 1989, by Pope Shenouda III to serve at St. Mary Church (Ard Elgolf). Then, on September 3, 1993, Pope Shenouda chose to have him serve St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in
Englewood, Colorado
The City of Englewood is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 33,659 at the 2020 United States Census. Englewood is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Stati ...
.
Rev. Gabriel Abdelsayed, who was the archpriest of St. Mark's, died in 1993. Pope Shenouda decided to replace the deceased priest with Fr. Abraam Sleman on January 5, 1995.
Today
Fr. Abraam served St. Mark Church for several years up to this point. By the time Pope Shenouda III recently elevated Fr. Abraam to the rank of Archpriest (Hegomen) on September 1, 2003,Fr. Abraam Sleman to Hegumen . ''Coptic Church Network'', September 1, 2003. Accessed August 11, 2008. Fr. Sleman was already serving alongside Fr. Markos Ayoub. On September 1, 2007, Pope Shenouda ordained Maged Abdelmaseih as Fr. Daniel Abdelmaseih, to be the third priest at St. Mark's Church. Thus, Heg. Abraam Sleman, Fr. Markos Ayoub, and Fr. Daniel Abdelmaseih have been pastors at St. Mark's Church up until the present.
There are currently about 750
Coptic American
Coptic Americans ( ''niremenkāmi enamerika'') are American citizens of Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in the United States of America. As of 2018, there were some 500,000 Copts living in the United States.
Immigration his ...
families served by St. Mark's Church.
See also
*
Coptic American
Coptic Americans ( ''niremenkāmi enamerika'') are American citizens of Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in the United States of America. As of 2018, there were some 500,000 Copts living in the United States.
Immigration his ...
Church of Saint Menas (Cairo)
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Saint Menas ( arz, كنيسة مارمينا ') is a Coptic Orthodox church near Coptic Cairo and is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, dating back to the sixth century.
Geographic significance
St. Men ...
*
Coptic architecture
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 ...
*
Coptic Cairo
Coptic Cairo is a part of Old Cairo which encompasses the Babylon Fortress, the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, the Greek Church of St. George and many other Coptic churches and historical sites. It is believed in Christian tradition that t ...
Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
The Copts 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 in the coming decades. With hundreds of Coptic Orthodox church ...
*
Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
The immigration of the Copts to Canada ( Copts in Canada) might have started as early as the late 1950s. Due to an increasing amount of discrimination towards Copts in Egypt in the 1970s and low income in Egypt. Canada has been receiving a greater ...
*
Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States
Copts, many of whom are adherents of the Coptic Orthodox Church, began migrating to the United States of America in the late 1940s. After 1952, the rate of Coptic immigration from Egypt to the United States increased. The first Coptic church in the ...
*
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 ...
St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Denver, Colorado)
St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic language, Coptic: // transliteration: ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Markos'') is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox parishes to be established in North America.St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church ( Coptic: // transliteration: ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Maria'') is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox churches established in Pennsylvania.
St. George Coptic Orthodox Church (Brooklyn)
St George Coptic Orthodox Church ( Coptic: // transliteration: ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Gewargios'') is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox churches in North America.
**
St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church (Woodbury, New York)
St Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic language, Coptic: // transliteration: ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Abra'am'') is a Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Coptic Orthodox parish in Woodbury, Nassau County, New Yo ...