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The Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales has two churches in Wales. The first is in South Wales and the other in North Wales.
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The Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales has two churches in Wales. The first is in South Wales and the other in North Wales.
The ecclesiastical history of the Church of Alexandria records that the Church sent missionaries, especially monastics, to the Celtic lands in the 3rd or 4th century.[ citation needed ]
Celtic tradition, especially in Ireland, suggests that the foundation of the monastic system among the Celts either partly imitated or took inspiration from the Egyptian monastic system, and that traces[ which? ] of Alexandrine theology remain embedded in Celtic theology. Thus both Coptic Christians and Celts can see the return of the Church of Alexandria to Celtia as of significance.
Although the Coptic Orthodox congregation has been present in Wales since the 1960s, the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales was consecrated in 1992 by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria in the town of Risca, South Wales.
Currently there are two Coptic Orthodox Churches in Wales.
The first Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales was consecrated in 1992 by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria in the town of Risca, South Wales, as a church of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The official name of the church is St Mary's and St Abu Saifain's Coptic Orthodox Church.
The Church building was a Former Wesleyan Methodist church. Founded in 1837, it was rebuilt on same site on 1852 and dedicated to St John. Architect not known, the church was designed to seat 600.
The parish was later known as Trinity Methodist Church. [1]
The church is a listed historic building (Grade II) for its well preserved architectural interest, its unusual slender arcades and especially for its fine decorative frontage.
The interior was partly converted to Coptic Orthodox liturgical use. Unusual aisled roof structure, wooden trusses rising from posts set on the very tall slender marbled columns with Corinthian derived capitals, which also support the high round arches of a wooden arcade; painted boarded ceiling. Wide moulded reredos arch and gallery. Rear raked gallery with curved and panelled front; pews on both floors retained. Vestibule has glazed panels to partition and swing doors with quarry glazing incorporating Art Nouveau motifs.
The current priest is Father Philopater Wahba
This church is under the direct supervision of Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and he is the head of the Church's council.
The second Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales was bought by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands in 2005 under the supervision of Bishop Missael [2] as Coptic Orthodox services began there later that year. [3] [4]
At first the Church did not have its own priest, therefore the mass was held there on Saturdays by a visiting priest, Father Bishoy, from the Coptic Orthodox Church in Manchester. Later the Church had its own priest, Fr. John Saleeb.
The church was consecrated by Pope Shenouda III during a visit to the UK on Saturday 29 March 2008. [5] [6]
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt, servicing Africa and the Middle East. The head of the church and the See of Alexandria is the Patriarch of Alexandria on the Holy See of Saint Mark, who also carries the title of Coptic Pope. The See of Alexandria is titular, and today the Coptic Pope presides from Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia District in Cairo. The church follows the Alexandrian Rite for its liturgy, prayer and devotional patrimony. With approximately 10 million members worldwide, it is the country's largest Christian denomination.
Pope Shenouda III was the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. His episcopate lasted 40 years, 4 months, and 4 days from 14 November 1971 until his death.
The British Orthodox Church, formerly known as the Orthodox Church of the British Isles, is a small independent Oriental Orthodox church defining its mission to the people of the British Isles. It has not been in communion with any of the Oriental Orthodox churches since a 2015 decision to return to an independent status.
The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, a faith with ancient Christian roots in Egypt. The current holder of this position is Pope Tawadros II, who was selected as the 118th pope on November 18, 2012.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has many churches and congregations in Europe and on 2 June 1974 Pope Shenouda III has received in the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria a native Orthodox Church in France known as the French Orthodox Eparchy, along with their Primate, who in turn was accepted after consecration into the Episcopate, in the Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria and hence was appointed their Primate Marcos (Mark), as the first Bishop and Athanasius as Chorbishop of The French Orthodox Eparchy.
St Mary and St Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church is the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales, at St Mary Street in Risca, Newport, Wales.
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest Orthodox authority in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. 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.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in South America has bishops in Bolivia and Brazil.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has many churches and congregations in the continent of Asia.
This article, dealing with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa, is about the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in African countries other than Egypt.
St Mary and St Abraam Church is a Coptic Orthodox Church in Hove, in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is one of 27 such churches in the British Isles, twelve of which are British Orthodox churches. The Race community in Brighton and Hove was founded in 1990; four years later it moved to its present site on Davigdor Road, on the Brighton/Hove border.
St Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church is a Coptic Orthodox parish in Woodbury, New York. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the United States.
St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church is notably the first Coptic Orthodox parish and church building in North America, if not, the Western Hemisphere, located in Jersey City, New Jersey. This is in comparison to St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in which is considered the first parish in North America. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the United States.
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.
St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox parishes that was established in North America. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the US.
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.
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.
The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands, UK is under the care of Bishop Missael.
Pope Tawadros II or Theodore II is the 118th and current pope of Alexandria and patriarch of the See of St. Mark, succeeding the late Pope Shenouda III as leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. He took office on 18 November 2012, two weeks after being selected.