Story of the Coptic Orthodox Church
History of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, Rochester, NY
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
The presence of the Coptic Orthodox congregation in the city of Rochester started in late sixties and early seventies as the result of some families immigrating to the United States to reside and work.
In the late 1960's, these families traveled to St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Toronto to attend the Divine Liturgy that being the closest Coptic Orthodox Church to Rochester three and one-half hours driving distance. On October 10, 1969: Father Marcos Elias Marcos, the first Coptic Orthodox priest to serve in North America and the priest of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Toronto, served the first Coptic mass in the city of Rochester. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated, on a periodic base, once or twice a year until 1977. Father Marcos then agreed to extend his service to once a month.
In 1981, Father Ibrahim Ateya (at the time, Priest of our church in Kitchener and Waterloo, Canada ) joined the ongoing service in Rochester, once a month. Through alternating between the two priests, Rochester enjoyed their services once every two weeks.
In 1986, the building committee was able to find 2.25 acres of land located in the town of Henrietta (a suburb of the city of Rochester). The asking price for this land was $40,000 but the owner agreed to sell it for only $20,000. Our church savings was about $120,000 at that time.
On June 29, 1987, the building committee was granted the final approval from the government boards and officials.
On July 10 of the same year Father Mina Wahba Youssef arrived to Rochester, to become the first permanent priest for St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Rochester . Father Ibrahim Ateya was present at his reception ceremony.
His Grace Bishop Reweiss blessed and consecrated this land on the 28th of September 1987. Immediately after, the preparation of the final building plans started.
Breaking grounds and the commencement of the new building started in the spring of 1988. The corner stone ceremony was headed and blessed by His Grace Bishop Reweis on September 2, 1988. The grand opening and the first service in the church building were conducted on Christmas Eve, January 6, 1989.
St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church was consecrated by H.H. Pope Shenouda III with some visiting bishops on September 6, 1989.
Father Mina Wahba Youssef is now serving in our church in San Diego, California where he has been serving since October 15, 1995.
Shortly thereafter, Father Mina Riwes arrived to Rochester as the new priest on December 25, 1995. After serving in Rochester for 2 ½ years, he departed to the Lord on July 21, 1997. May the Lord repose his soul.
On August 7, 1998, Father Shenouda Maher Ishak came to Rochester as its new priest. During his service in St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Rochester, there was an expansion of the Church building that included an enlargement of the Church, a new baptismal font for adults, rooms for Sunday School and other activities as well as a new Church for the Archangel Michael and St. Shenouda the Archimandrite in the basement. Also, a 51 acre plot of land was purchased across the street from the Church that is currently being prepared for the building of the Pope Shenouda III Retreat Center and St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Monastery.
On August 14, 2004, H.H. Pope Shenouda III opened this new building and extension. On the next day, he layed the cornerstone of the Pope Shenouda III Retreat Center and St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Monastery, consecrated the Church of the Archangel Michael and St. Shenouda the Archimandrite,the new baptismal font for adults, and the icons of the Church of St. Mark.
We pray that God bless this Church and this Monastery for the glory of His Name. To Him is due all glory now and forever. Amen.
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