Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States

Copts, many of whom are adherents of the Coptic Orthodox Church, began migrating to the United States of America in the late 1940s.

[1] As of 2007[update], there were about 200 worshipping communities in the United States that served the expanding Coptic Orthodox population.

Due to the restrictions on immigration put in place by the National Origins Formula, the majority of these early Coptic migrants to the USA were non-permanent residents.

[4] These early immigrants moved to the United States in search of religious freedom, political stability, and economic opportunity.

[4][5] Early in 1970, the Coptic community in the East Coast, purchased and renovated a Church building in Jersey City.

Bishoy Kamel led a fund raising campaign in order to purchase a church building.

[4][5] By 1976, there were ten Coptic Churches in the United States, two in New Jersey, two in California, two in New York, one in Pennsylvania, one in Texas, one in Ohio, and one in Illinois; all being parishes of the Archdiocese of North America, headed directly by the Patriarch of Alexandria.

[5] The growing number of parishes in the United States garnered the attention of the then newly elected Pope Shenouda III.

In May of 1977, Pope Shenouda III, made a historic two month visit to the United States in order to personally serve the Coptic community there.

From that point forward Pope Shenouda III began making annual visits to the United States.

He was accompanied on these visits by Metropolitan Serapion, who at that time, was serving as the Bishop of Public, Social, and Ecumenical Services.

[5] In 1992, Pope Shenouda III consecrated Metropolitan Youssef as a general bishop to oversee the churches in the Southern United States.

In 1972, a piece of land had been purchased for this purpose, but it laid vacant until Pope Shenouda III, sent four monks to establish the monastery in 1989.

[7] In 1995, following his annual visit to the United States, Pope Shenouda III, saw a need to establish dioceses in some of the most populated regions of the Archdiocese, in order to better effectively serve the community.

The Diocese was established by the enthronement of Bishop Peter by the hands of Pope Tawadros II on June 11, 2016.

There are currently 11 churches[34] in the diocese area, several Coptic communities, as well as St. Mary and St John the Beloved convent in Warren, Ohio.