Founded by St. Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria in the first century, the Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in the world — the church of the Desert Fathers, the School of Alexandria, and millions of believers across Egypt and the diaspora today.
History & Origins
From St. Mark's preaching in Alexandria (c. 42 AD) through the age of martyrs, the Council of Nicaea, and the birth of monasticism with St. Anthony the Great — the story of the church that gave Christianity its first theological school.
Faith & Creed
The Orthodox faith as confessed in the Nicene Creed: one God in Trinity, the incarnation of the Logos, and the one nature of God the Incarnate Word as taught by St. Cyril of Alexandria.
The Seven Sacraments
Baptism, Chrismation (Myron), Repentance & Confession, the Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood — the channels of grace in the life of every believer.
Liturgy & Worship
The Divine Liturgies of St. Basil, St. Gregory, and St. Cyril; the Agpeya hours of prayer; fasting seasons; and the hymns of a church that still prays in the language of the Pharaohs.