Posted on 10/14/2016 5:13:04 PM PDT by marshmallow
Manama (Agenzia Fides) - Coptic Orthodox priest Royce George, engaged in the pastoral care of the Orthodox Coptic community in Bahrain, has confirmed the donation of land by King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa for the construction of the second Coptic church in the Kingdom.
The new building of Christian worship will rise in the capital, Manama, and will become a point of reference for the liturgies and pastoral activities that will involve approximately 1,500 Coptic families resident in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The donation was announced after the meeting which took place in late April between the King of Bahrain and Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II, on the occasion of the monarch's visit to Egypt.
(Excerpt) Read more at fides.org ...
Interesting. In all fairness there are churches in Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Oman.
However, Hillary’s bestest buddies in Saudi Arabia don’t allow any and actively persecute any open Christian worship.
This is good news!
I don’t remember anything like this from the emirates back in the 80’s, which was the last time I was in the region.
This king may ne be real popular after this.
Nice of him! There’s a Coptic Orthodox here in Charlotte. We passed near it on the way to the Diocesan Spanish Music Get-Together on Saturday, and several of my choir members were interested in seeing what the Coptic service is like. I need to find the church’s website.
We have Eritrean Roman Catholics in our parish; they also live on my street, an extended-family group of thirty or so in several houses.
Ah, I see they have an English Divine Liturgy every Saturday (which wouldn’t conflict with our Spanish Catholic Mass on Sunday afternoon). I’ll have to call them and see if they would mind a visit from Spanish Catholics.
Are the Coptic Orthodox English speaking, friendly, etc.? That would be cool.
Their website shows an English liturgy every Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m., which gives me the impression that it’s not their favorite thing ;-), but they have a social hour afterward, so it must draw some Copts who aren’t comfortable with the Arabic liturgy. Their 9:00 a.m. Sunday liturgy is described as “Arabic-English.” If they do a liturgy in Old Coptic, the only surviving descendant of the ancient Egyptian language, it must be only on special occasions.
One of my choir-ladies said that a Spanish-speaking deacon from a nearby church talked about going to the Coptic Christmas Eve liturgy, so they must be friendly. I’ll give them a call about an ecumenical visit. My oldest daughter and I went to a Marian prayer service at the Greek Orthodox church once, and they were very polite ... even when she suggested that an electric guitar might be helpful!
Sounds so intriguing... well, all of it except of course for the electric guitar recommendation to the Greek Orthodox. LOL!! HA! Too funny.
I thought St. Nektarios the Wonder-Worker was going to Zot us then and there! (Anoreth was 15 at the time, if I’m correctly calculating her age vs. Vlad’s; I think he was the baby then.)
“The Orthodox do not update!” I told her. “Just imagine you’re visiting the past without having to put on a costume.”
Hilarious! Marvelous story! You have a great sense of humor and tell a fine story. LOL!!
Thank you!
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