St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Los Angeles)

Infobox church
name = St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
color = gray

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imagesize = 200px
caption =
landscape =
denomination = Coptic Orthodox Church
diocese = Diocese of Los Angeles
division = The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate
parish =
subdivision =
founded_date = 1970
founder =
architect =
style = Coptic
constructed_date =
dedicated_date =
bishop = Pope Shenouda III
HG Bishop Serapion
priest = Fr. Bishoy Ghobrial
Fr. Raphael Hanna
Fr. Michael Gabriel
archdeacon =
address = 1600 South Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035
country = United States of America
phone = [phone]
website = http://www.stmarkla.org/

St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic: Coptic|Ϯⲉⲕ'ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⳿ⲛⲣⲉⲙ⳿ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⳿ⲛⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ ⳿ⲛⲧⲉ ⲫⲏⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ Ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲥ // transliteration: "ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente fi.ethowab Markos") is the oldest Coptic Orthodox church that was established in Los Angeles and is one of the oldest Coptic parishes in the United States. It is one of over 200 Coptic Orthodox Churches in the US. [" [http://copticchurch.net/news/press_release/20050120_armanious_murder_jersey_city.html Coptic Church Urges Thorough Investigation In Murder of Jersey City Family] ". "Coptic Church Network", January 20, 2005. Accessed August 11, 2008.] [ [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=6&IndexView=toc CNEWA:The Coptic Orthodox Church] (Retrieved 17-07-2008)]

History of the Church

St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church of Los Angeles was founded as the second Coptic parish in the United States, and was incorporated by 1970 with only 200 families at the time. [http://nacopts.com/viewChurch.php?id=42 Church Data] ] The Coptic families in Los Angeles started settling from around the late 60's when the late Father Bishoy Kamel was commissioned to serve the church in 1969, [ [http://www.stmark.toronto.on.coptorthodox.ca/copts.asp The History of Copts in North America] (Retrieved 08-06-2008)] during Pope Cyril VI's papacy. Fr. Bishoy was a promiment Copt, being considered a modern-day saint within the Church. As a matter of fact, Fr. Bishoy Kamel helped found St. Mark's Church in LA, as well as several other parishes and buildings throughout Egypt, the United States, Europe and Australia. [ [http://www.stabanoub-dallas.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94:fr-bishoy-kamel&catid=42:Cop_Saints_cat&Itemid=55 The life of Fr. Bishoy Kamel] (Retrieved 06-08-2008)]

The congregation initially used a Syriac Orthodox building to accommodate for liturgies. Then, the congregation eventually purchased the current building which was previously used by the Russian Orthodox. [ [http://www.coptic.net/synexarion/FatherBishoyKamel.txt Fr. Bishoy Kamel] (Retrieved 06-08-2008)] Several years later, in 1995, the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii was founded. HH Pope Shenouda III, the current Pope of Alexandria, enthroned HG Serapion as Bishop for the diocese, which includes St. Mark's Church as well as several other diocese churches. There are currently about 650 Coptic families served by St. Mark's Church with several others belonging to different church congregations throughout California.

References

External links

* [http://www.stmarkla.org/ The official website of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church]
* [http://www.lacopts.org/ The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California & Hawaii]
* [http://www.nacopts.com/ Directory & Statistics on Coptic Orthodox Churches in North America]

ee also

*Coptic Orthodox Church
*Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria
*Coptic architecture
*Coptic Cairo
*Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
**Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
**Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States
**List of Coptic Orthodox Churches in the United States
***St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Jersey City, New Jersey)
***St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (Denver, Colorado)
***St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
***St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church (Los Angeles)
***St. Mary & St. Antonios Coptic Orthodox Church (Ridgewood, Queens)
***St. George Coptic Orthodox Church (Brooklyn)
***St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church (Jersey City, New Jersey)