The immigration of the

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

s to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(

Copts in Canada Copts in Canada are Canadian citizens of Coptic people, Coptic descent or people of Coptic descent residing in Canada. Population and distribution According to the Canada 2011 Census, 2011 Census there were 3,570 Canadians who reported Coptic anc ...

) 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 number of these immigrants, and the number of Coptic immigrants into Canada has been growing ever since.

Membership

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

has reported a rise in the number of Coptic Orthodox Christians in Canada. Statistics Canada's National Household Survey reported: *In the 1991 Census: 5,020 *In the 2001 Census: 10,280 *In the 2011 Census: 16,255

History

In 1964, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church was established in Toronto; this was the first Coptic parish established in the

Coptic diaspora The Coptic diaspora () consists of Copts who live outside of their primary area of residence within parts of present-day Egypt, Libya and Sudan. The number of Copts outside Egypt has sharply increased since the 1960s. The largest Coptic diaspora ...

. In 2002, a survey showed 22 Coptic Orthodox

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es in Canada, indicating growth. In 2011, there were five Coptic Orthodox churches in Montreal. In 2021, there were 64 Coptic Orthodox Churches in 3 Dioceses.

Episcopacy

Diocesan bishops

* Mina, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver & Western Canada. (2013 - Present) * Boules, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ottawa, Montréal & Eastern Canada. (2019 - Present)

General bishops

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

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 Church, Christian roo ...

. All churches and regions that are not under the jurisdiction of an established diocese are part of the Archdiocese. Throughout the years the Archdiocese has been served by Patriarchal Exarchs, and General Bishops based in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. In June of 2022, Bishop Archelides was consecrated as a General Bishop, to assist the Pope in serving the Archdiocese of North America in Canada, especially in the regions where Church's are already established, namely in the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...

, and

Central Canada Central Canada (french: Centre du Canada, sometimes the Central provinces) is a region consisting of Canada's two largest and most populous provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Geographically, they are not at the centre of Canada but instead overlap w ...

Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver & Western Canada

The Diocese was established by the enthronement of Bishop Mina, by the order of Pope Tawadros II, in March of 2013. The Diocese comprises the following provinces: *

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

and the Western Towns and Cities in the Province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

The diocese contains about 28 parishes, the Convent of Saint Mary, Saint George and Saint Philopater, the Monastery of Saint George and Saint Paul the Anchorite, and a retreat center.

Diocese of Ottawa, Montréal & Eastern Canada

The Diocese was established by the consecration of Bishop Boules by the hands of Pope Tawadros II, in June of 2019. The Diocese comprises the following provinces: * Ontario, East of Kingston *

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

Church Activities

Apart from the Divine Liturgy, many of the Coptic churches in Canada offer other services to their congregation, such as Choir, Sunday School, Youth Group, Bible Study, Coptic Language Classes, Hymnology classes, etc. These services help to keep the youth as active members of the Church, and serve to maintain an involved Church community. Church websites usually have a list of the services they offer, and on which days they take place.

References

{{reflist

External links

Coptic Orthodox Church Directory (Canada & US)Coptic Church ListingsCoptic Centre in CanadaThe Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North AmericaDirectory & Statistics on Coptic Orthodox Churches in North AmericaA similar article on OrthodoxWiki
Coptic Orthodox Church in North America Oriental Orthodoxy in Canada Coptic Canadian