Coptic Orthodox Church in South America
Encyclopedia
Coptic Orthodox Church in South America has its bishops present in Bolivia
and Brazil
.
Fr. 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. Fr. 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. Fr. 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 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the help of Fr. Michael Edward priest of St. Mark Church in Cleveland and the determination of Fr. Youssef, the service continued to grow.
On February 13th 2006, H.H. Pope Shenouda III, accompanied by bishops and priests, visited Bolivia to consecrate Santa Maria y San Marcos Church. They was 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.
His Holiness was continually impressed by Fr. Youssef’s hard work and various services. On June 11th 2006, he ordained Fr. Youssef as Bishop of Bolivia. The following year in June, His Grace Bishop Youssef brought Fr. Hedra Anba Boula to service with him in Bolivia. Later, Brother Milad joined them and was ordained by His Grace on November 15th 2009 as Father Anthony. Brother Riad recently joined the service as a deacon in 2010.
The Church today has a small bakery and carpentry workshop that serves the community. Recently His Grace opened Pope Shenouda III Medical Centre to improve the health of those within the community. 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 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III consecrated Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in São Paulo
, Brazil
.
On the following day Monday 13 February 2006 His Holiness the Pope consecrated Saint Mary and Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in Santa Cruz
, Bolivia
.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
History of the Church in Bolivia
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. His Holiness sent Fr. Youssef Amba Boula to serve them. Fr. Youssef had minor courses in Spanish prior to coming to Bolivia. He arrived December 14th, 2000. Fr. 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 weren’t any Liturgical books in Spanish but within 6 months, he translated it. He continued to pray in the hall for two years.Fr. 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. Fr. 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. Fr. 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 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the help of Fr. Michael Edward priest of St. Mark Church in Cleveland and the determination of Fr. Youssef, the service continued to grow.
Santa Maria y San Marcos Church
By 2002, the Church was growing rapidly in numbers and services. Fr. Youssef looked for land to build a Church. He found a place with a large hall and play ground suitable for that purpose and purchased it. The media recognized the rapid growth of the church and invited Fr. 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.Building the Church
In 2004, Fr. Youssef began construction of the new church as it currently stands today. Within nine months, the structure of the building was complete. Soon afterwards, Tasony Sawsan flew especially from Egypt to draw the Icons of the church. The Iconostasis was designed in traditional Coptic style by Bolivians.On February 13th 2006, H.H. Pope Shenouda III, accompanied by bishops and priests, visited Bolivia to consecrate Santa Maria y San Marcos Church. They was 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.
His Holiness was continually impressed by Fr. Youssef’s hard work and various services. On June 11th 2006, he ordained Fr. Youssef as Bishop of Bolivia. The following year in June, His Grace Bishop Youssef brought Fr. Hedra Anba Boula to service with him in Bolivia. Later, Brother Milad joined them and was ordained by His Grace on November 15th 2009 as Father Anthony. Brother Riad recently joined the service as a deacon in 2010.
The Church of Bolivia Today
The congregation currently contains approximately four hundred and fifty 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. This is a stamp of the Church in Bolivia which is an example of how the Coptic Church is spreading out from Egypt. By the grace of God, the prayers and guidance of His Holiness and the service of dedicated servants who believe that God works in miraculous ways, the Church would not exist.The Church today has a small bakery and carpentry workshop that serves the community. Recently His Grace opened Pope Shenouda III Medical Centre to improve the health of those within the community. 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 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III consecrated Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
On the following day Monday 13 February 2006 His Holiness the Pope consecrated Saint Mary and Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
Bishops
There are many Coptic Orthodox churches and congregations in South America, currently the church has two Bishops both ordinated in 2006 serving in South America- His Grace Aghathon, Bishop the Holy Diocese of São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and All BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, who is mainly serving PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
-speaking territories. - His Grace Youssef (Joseph), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Santa CruzSanta Cruz de la SierraSanta Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
and All BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. For more Information visit http://orthodoxbolivia.org/
External links
- http://www.coptic.org/
- El-keraza issue announcing the news of ordinating the bishops for Brazil and Bolivia http://www.stmarkcoccleveland.org/engkeraza06-02-2006.pdf
- A video about the Coptic Orthodox Mission in Brazil
- The official website of the Coptic Orthodox mission in Bolivia http://orthodoxbolivia.org/
See also
- CoptCoptThe Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s - Coptic alphabetCoptic alphabetThe Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language. The repertoire of glyphs is based on the Greek alphabet augmented by letters borrowed from the Demotic and is the first alphabetic script used for the Egyptian language...
- Coptic calendarCoptic calendarThe Coptic calendar, also called the Alexandrian calendar, is used by the Coptic Orthodox Church and still used in Egypt. This calendar is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar...
- Coptic iconography
- Coptic languageCoptic languageCoptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
- Coptic musicCoptic musicCoptic music is the music sung and played in the Coptic Orthodox Church . It consists mainly of chanted hymns in rhythm with instruments such as cymbals and the triangle...
- Coptic abstinenceCoptic abstinenceThe Copts, the Christians of Egypt, who belong mostly to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, observe fasting periods according to the Coptic calendar. These fasting periods are matched by no other Christian community. Out of the 365 days of the year, the Copts fast over 210 days.- Fasting...
- Coptic OrphansCoptic orphansCoptic Orphans is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 with the goal of the long-term development of the physical and intellectual well being of children in Egypt.-History:...
- Coptic Orthodox Church in CanadaCoptic Orthodox Church in CanadaThe immigration of the Copts to Canada might have started as early as the late 1950s. Starting in the 1970s, Canada has been receiving a greater number of these immigrants, and the number of Coptic immigrants into Canada has been growing ever since. According to the census, there were over 10,000...
- Coptic Orthodox Church in the United StatesCoptic Orthodox Church in the United StatesThe immigration of the Copts to the United States of America started as early as 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 is St...
- List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
- Patriarch of AlexandriaPatriarch of AlexandriaThe Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope , and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome...
- Pope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope Shenouda III of Alexandria is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria...
- The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
- Oriental OrthodoxyOriental OrthodoxyOriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
- Coptic Orthodox Church in EuropeCoptic Orthodox Church in EuropeThe 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...
- EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...