With God’s grace, the youth of the Diocese of Los Angeles participated in the annual Youth Spiritual Competition on Saturday, August 21, 2010. The competition was graciously hosted by the priests and congregation of St. John Church in Covina under the auspices and guidance of our beloved father, His Grace Bishop Serapion. Also in attendance were several diocesan priests, including Fr. Gregory Bishay, Fr. Boules Baky, Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim, Fr. Moses Samaan, Fr. David Abdelsayed, Fr. Mina Girgis, Fr. Youhanna Youssef, Fr. Joseph Boules, Fr. John Botros, and others. The youth of each church were accompanied by their coaches, servants, and many parents, as well.

We thank God that the competition this year was a great success in its organization and the accomplishment of its mission to energize and excite the youth of the Diocese.

It’s time again for the annual Diocese of Los Angeles and Hawaii Graduates and Young Professionals Convention! Graduate students and young professionals from California and the rest of the United States come together to grow in knowledge, spirituality, and fellowship. This year we have some very important speakers coming to discuss with us how to defend our faith without offending our faith. With persecution of the church growing all over the world and where our own faith is tested daily, this topic cannot come at a more pertinent time. Join us as we learn what it means to carry our cross, to boldly stand up for our faith, and to be brave and strong without forgetting about love. We look forward to seeing you!

For more information or to register, please visit:  http://lacoptsgyp.org

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles announces a new website dedicated to this year’s Youth Spiritual Competition and Al Keraza Competition: http://www.ysc-keraza.org/ website.

The site includes all of the most updated material for this year’s Youth Spiritual competition. Please note that updates have been made and noted on the front page, and that each participant should access each file on the site for their respective material to ensure that they have the most updated files.

Please also note that registration is now open and accessible through the http://www.ysc-keraza.org/ website, and that the deadline for registration is August 8, 2010. Please address any concerns you may have to info@ysc-keraza.org

Over the past few days, the Diocese launched a new registration website for its annual Diocese Summer Conventions for junior high, high school, and college youth. The new website will allow youth, parents, and chaperones to register and pay quickly.

You may visit the new website directly at this link:

http://www.lacopts-conventions.org/

Also, many of the deadlines for registration have been extended in light of the technical difficulties with the previous registration software. Please check this page for up-to-date information.