COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH, DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES PRESENTS

BRIDGING THE GAP

THE FIRST DOCUMENTARY ADDRESSING
THE GAP BETWEEN YOUTH AND THEIR PARENTS
IN COPTIC FAMILIES LIVING OUTSIDE OF EGYPT.
... AND PRESENTS THE SOLUTIONS.

Bridging the Gap is presented by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii and produced by Television professionals under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Serapion. It is intended as an educational video describing the challenges and some proposed solutions to the many issues facing Coptic Orthodox families outside of Egypt as a result of immigration and acculturation.  

The video includes interviews with clergy, professional psychologists, parents and youth within the diocese. The four primary areas of exploration are:

    1-  Culture Gap: Differences and conflicts between parents and youth resulting from
         growing up in different cultures.
    2-  Generation Gap: Differences of tastes, values, outlook, and attitudes between
         youth and their parents.
    3- Communication Gap: Differences in methods and styles of communication between
        youth and their parents.
    4- Language Gap: Communication weaknesses within the family resulting from youth
        and their parents having different primary languages.

This documentary presents solutions for both parents and youth. Also, the role of our Coptic Orthodox Church outside of Egypt in helping families to bridge this critical gap.

Available at your church book store. For distributors please call (818) 426-1341
 

On Sunday October 5th, 2008, at Saint Maurice Church, in Pomona, His Grace Bishop Serapion ordained the blessed servant, Daniel Habib, to the rank of Deacon.  God willing, the blessed deacon will be ordained as a priest on October 19, 2008 at Saint John Coptic Orthodox Church in Covina.  May Our Lord Jesus Christ bless his ministry for the glory of His Name. 

The School of Religion and The Council for Coptic Studies at Claremont Graduate University
cordially invite you to a public lecture on

Christian Unity from an Orthodox Perspective

By His Grace Bishop Serapion
Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Los Angeles

Claremont Graduate University
Albrecht Auditorium,
925 N. Dartmouth Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
6:30 pm Social and Refreshments
7:00 pm Performance by Coptic Church Ecclesiastical Choirs
7:30 pm Lecture

Christian unity is an important element in the confession of faith and liturgical life of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The lecture will present an Orthodox perspective on Christian unity and illustrate the Orthodox endeavor to seek Christ’s desire that all of those who believe in Him may be one. The lecture will also reflect on the Coptic experience in the ecumenical movement, both in the well-established forums such as the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Christ, and in the newer forums such as the Christian Churches Together in the USA and the Global Christian Forum. Still, the question remains: What is the future of ecumenism?

His Grace Bishop Serapion has been the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Los Angeles since 1995. He is on the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ and the Steering Committee of Christian Churches Together in the USA. In 1985, he was ordained General Bishop for Ecumenical and Social Services. For many years he served on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and the Life and Service Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches, and as Vice President of the All Africa Conference of Churches.

Inquiries may be addressed to Dr. S. Michael Saad, Chair, Council for Coptic Studies, School of Religion, Claremont Graduate University, e-mail: saad3@aol.com

Educational Financial Aid
Financial aid became a dyer necessity for low income families in Egypt because it consumes a huge portion of their income. In most cases these families barely have enough income for food, so they resort to dropping their kids out of school which is known as Evading education.

The Agapy Program of Saint Verena charity focuses on these types of families and helps them by offering a grant for the amount of L.E 800 to every student.

With the increasingly rising cost of living, this amount is not enough for all the financial demands that comes with education like clothes, books, and school tuition, in addition to tutoring classes which became a basic necessity for education in Egypt.

Many times these families resort to borrowing money, to be able to cover the cost of education. There is even a more dangerous trend than borrowing money; the youth who wants to continue their education may be offered tempting amount of money that can lead them away from their faith. This could be a path for a lot lost souls.

Therefore, we plead to those merciful and compassionate hearts to help these youth with whatever they can offer, to help them finish their education to be able to improve standard of living for themselves and their families as well. 

May the Lord reward you with the heavenly rewards!

Please reserve the date for the annual banquet of Santa Verena Charity

November 2, 2008

Details will be announced later.

1- Blessing of the “Tunics”
The “tunic” should be blessed before the “Matins Raising of Incense”. In case some deacons come late, the “Tunic” can be blessed before the “Agpia”, after the “Agpia” or before the “Absolution of the Servants”. The “Tunic” should not be blessed after the “Absolution of the Servants”.

2- Lighting and Holding the Candles inside the Altar during the “Anaphora”
Candles should not be lit while kneeling; therefore, candles should be lit as follows:

a. At the beginning of the “sanctification prayers” (Institution) until the deacon responds, “Worship God in fear and trembling”.

b. At the beginning of the “Fraction” prayer until its end. Candles should not be lit before the fraction, e. g. when the priest prays saying: “the Holy Body” (for we should be kneeling down).

c. When the priest prays, saying, “The Holies for the holy” until the beginning of the Confession “Amen, Amen, Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe”. During the Confession all deacons should kneel down except for the deacon who prays the “Confession”. This deacon stands across the altar facing the priest holding the cross in his right hand, a candle in his left hand and a Corporal (lefafa) in between.

3- The Deacons in Receiving the Holy Communion
a. The deacon who prays the “Confession” should take Communion immediately after the priests, then he stands at the main entrance of the Altar (The Royal Door), facing the Altar. After all of the deacons receive communion, he then walks (backwards) in front of the priest so that he is facing the “Holy Body”.

b. Chanting the distribution hymns outside the altar is no excuse for delaying to receive the “Holy Communion”.

4- The Deacons’ Tunic
Saints’ pictures should not be printed on the deacons’ tunics, they should have crosses only.

5- Giving Communion to a Sick Person Outside of the Altar
If the priest must go to a sick person outside the Altar, a deacon, carrying a candle, must escort him. The deacon who prayed the “Confession” should remain guarding the “Holy Body” and carrying the cross, the candle, and the corporal in between.

6- The Response of “Amen” while Receiving Communion:
As the priest gives Communion he says “The Body of Emmanuel our God.” The person receiving the Communion (not the deacon standing by the priest) should reply saying, “Amen”.

Christ has promised, “He who believes in Me … out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)

The lives of Alexandrian Church fathers Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril epitomised a fervent and unwavering faith in Christ.  It is fitting then that the teachings that flowed from their hearts have long endured in the Church, nourishing the faithful as rivers of living water.  Nor have these teachings been confined by narrow banks, but instead have overflowed, irrigating the soil of the universal church, slaking the thirst of all who longed for the knowledge of God, and providing a common source of Christian understanding revered by theologians from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches throughout the last sixteen centuries.

The Copts are fortunate to inherit this rich tradition and honoured to be members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, of which Saint Athanasius was the twentieth patriarch (328-373) and Saint Cyril was the twenty fourth patriarch (412-444).

But with such fortune and honour comes a burden of responsibility to inherited tradition. Despite the magnitude of the task, our generation may bear this burden with enthusiasm, mindful of the rewards of our stewardship: that Christ is glorified in us when we present Him to the world as the bread of life on the table of the Fathers.

In this respect, I was delighted when the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, under the supervision of His Grace Bishop Serapion, recently established the Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Theological Library.  The Library is temporarily housed in the Diocese building at 4909 Cleland Avenue, Los Angeles.  But I see that the Library is also located in the heart of the Coptic world.  The Copts of Los Angeles, as all Copts in the world, can choose for themselves an effective role in the progress of the See of St Mark and all humanity.  This patristics library can be one means for the success of such a worldwide ministry.

Library Mission

The Diocese announced that its purpose is to “establish a library that promotes, encourages, and facilitates the study of the biblical and patristic