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The Coptic Orthodox Church in South America has bishops in Bolivia and Brazil.
| Part of a series on the |
| Copts |
|---|
| Culture |
| Regions |
| Denominations |
| Christianityportal |
The Coptic Orthodox Church in South America has bishops in Bolivia and Brazil.
In 1997, Fr. Aghathon Amba Boula heard of and began to visit a few Copts who were living in Bolivia. He continued to serve them for four years until they requested a permanent priest. Fr. Youssef Amba Boula was sent to serve them. Youssef had minor courses in Spanish prior to coming to Bolivia. He arrived on December 14, 2000. Youssef started services in a rented flat located in a poor area. However, only one Copt remained in Bolivia. The other families returned to Egypt or immigrated to the U.S.A. He prayed his first Liturgy in the hall of his flat three days after his arrival. At this time, there were no liturgical books in Spanish, but within six months he had made a translation. He continued to pray in the hall for two years.
Youssef began teaching Coptic Hymns to children and youth in Coptic and Spanish. He arranged trips. He started to communicate regularly with many Bolivians. Frequently they asked him about his clothing, his beard and the cross he wears. When they knew that he was a Christian, they started to ask him about his beliefs and the Coptic Orthodox Church. He explained Orthodoxy and showed them the love of Christ. Youssef loved them and they loved him back. He spent time with them, listened to their problems, aided them to solutions and gave them spiritual advice. He started various spiritual and social services. They learned about the Coptic Church, embraced it and were baptised. Youssef performed the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, marriage and unction of the sick multiple times. He wrote a book about the Coptic Church in Spanish and published the Coptic Spanish Liturgy Book. With the guidance of Pope Shenouda III, the help of Fr. Michael Edward, priest of St. Mark Church in Cleveland, and the determination of Youssef, the service continued to grow.
By 2002, the Church was growing rapidly in numbers and services. Youssef looked for land to build a Church. He found a place with a large hall and playground suitable for that purpose and purchased it. The media recognized the rapid growth of the church and invited Youssef for interviews in newspaper and on TV. Activities continuously increased for the congregation. These included teaching, cooking and crafts. In 2003, he brought more land and built an activity hall to be used for the various service.
In 2004, Youssef began construction of the new church as it currently stands today. Within nine months, the structure of the building was complete. Soon afterwards, Egyptian artist Tasony Sawsan Salib flew from Egypt to Bolivia to draw the Icons of the church. The Iconostasis was designed in traditional Coptic style by Bolivians.
On February 13, 2006, Pope Shenouda III, accompanied by bishops and priests, visited Bolivia to consecrate Santa Maria y San Marcos Church. They were greeted with a warm welcome from the Bolivians. The event was live on the radio, televised within Bolivia, and documented in the local newspapers. The consecration was attended by many dignitaries including ecclesiastical and political members.
On June 11, 2006 Shenouda ordained Youssef as Bishop of Bolivia. The following year in June, Bishop Youssef brought Fr. Hedra Anba Boula to service with him in Bolivia. Later, Brother Milad joined them and was ordained by the bishop on November 15, 2009 as Father Anthony. Riad Ibrahim joined the service as a deacon in 2010. [1]
As of 2012 [update] , the congregation had approximately 450 Bolivians attending Church services regularly. The Coptic Church is well known among Bolivians and in the media. The newspapers speak highly about the Church and its activities.
The Church has a small bakery and carpentry workshop that serves the community. Recently the bishop opened Pope Shenouda III Medical Centre. The Church added a library and a computer centre for the youth, to help them in their studies. The next step is to open an orphanage and a day care to help the street children.
On Sunday 12 February 2006, Shenouda consecrated Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in São Paulo, Brazil. [2] On the following day the Pope consecrated Saint Mary and Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. [3]
There are many Coptic Orthodox churches and congregations in South America, currently the church has two Bishops both ordinated in 2006 [4] serving in South America
The Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the See of Alexandria is the pope of Alexandria on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark, who also carries the title of Father of fathers, Shepherd of shepherds, Ecumenical Judge and the 13th among the Apostles. The See of Alexandria is titular. The Coptic pope presides from Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia District in Cairo. The church follows the Coptic Rite for its liturgy, prayer and devotional patrimony. Christians in Egypt total about 10 million people, and Coptic Christians make up Egypt's largest and most significant minority population, and the largest population of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Pope Shenouda III was the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. His papacy lasted 40 years, 4 months, and 4 days, from 14 November 1971 until his death.
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria also called Abba Kyrillos VI, Coptic: Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ ⲋ̅ ; was the 116th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark from 10 May 1959 to his death.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales has two churches in Wales. The first is in South Wales and the other in North Wales.
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest Orthodox authority in the Coptic Orthodox Church. It formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of the Church's organisation and faith.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has several churches in Great Britain and Ireland under the jurisdiction of four diocesan bishops.
Archbishop Angaelos is the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the UK.
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 United States, St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, was established in the late 1960s in Jersey City.
The immigration of the Copts to 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 number of these immigrants, and the number of Coptic immigrants into Canada has been growing ever since.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia is organised into two Coptic Orthodox dioceses with over 50 parishes, three monasteries, two theological colleges and four schools. The church is a member of the National Council of Churches in Australia. According to the 2006 Census of Australia, there were a total of 19,928 followers of Coptic Orthodoxy nationally. Currently, the church has as many as 100,000 members in Australia.
St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church is a Coptic Orthodox church in Los Angeles and is one of the oldest Coptic parishes established in the United States. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox churches in the US.
St George Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox churches established in North America. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the US. The church belongs to Coptic Diocese of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware & West Virginia.
St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox churches established in Pennsylvania. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the US.
Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church is the second oldest Coptic Orthodox church that was established in Los Angeles and one of the largest Coptic parishes in California. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the US.
Bishop Missael is a diocesan bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria consecrated by Pope Shenouda III on 26 May 1991 to oversee the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands, U.K. In this capacity, he is a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Serapion is the first hierarch and bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii. He was born in Assiut, Kingdom of Egypt on November 10, 1951. Following his graduation from the Faculty of Medicine at Assiut in 1975, he practiced medicine in Aswan before becoming a monk.
Coptic Australians are Australians of Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in Australia. According to the 2011 census, there were 24,693 Copts in Australia, mostly members of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Coptic population within Australia is estimated to be between 70,000 and 100,000 people.
The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii, is a diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which was founded in 1995. It is currently headed by Metropolitan Serapion the bishop of Los Angeles, and Metropolitan of Southern California and Hawaii.
Metropolitan Wissa is the serving Metropolitan Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of El Balyana, in Sohag Governorate, Egypt. His Diocese encompasses the districts of El Balyana (Abydos), Bardis (district), Awlad Toukh and the villages under their jurisdictions.
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