Annual Youth Service Trip to Egypt
The Diocese joyfully announces its Annual Youth Service trip to Egypt for 2010 from July 12 to August 5. The purpose of this trip is to serve the Lord’s brethren in Egypt by providing them with basic medical and social services. Participants in this year’s trip will be blessed to spend time with His Grace Bishop Serapion and His Grace Bishop Thomas at the Anaphora Retreat Center. There will also be retreats for males at – …
Ordination of Archdeacon Moses
On Saturday, December 26, 2009, at St. Maurice Coptic Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Serapion ordained the blessed servant, Paul Saman, as an Archdeacon for the Diocese of Los Angeles to continue his service at St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church in San Diego. Participating in the Divine Liturgy were the reverend Hegumen Fr. Mina Wahba Youssef, Hegumen Fr. Michael Gabriel, Fr. Shenouda Ghattas, Fr. John Paul Abdelsayed, Fr. David Abdelsayed, and Fr. Daniel Habib. Also, – …
Understanding the Process of Grief
Modern society is a “death denying and death-defying society”1. We speed along highways, eat fats and sugars to excess, overwork, smoke, pollute, and inject toxins into our faces all with the childish façade that death happens to other people. This is not to say that we ignore death – in fact it is constantly in our faces with up to the second media and technology reporting all the tragedies around the world. Yet, families seem – …
The Nurse of Hope: Patience in Tribulations
The blessed prophet David shows that those who put their trust in God were most courageous when he says, “Act like men and let your hearts be strong, all you who hope in the Lord” (Ps. 31:24, LXX). For those plants which are in pleasure gardens both increase, bloom, and are raised to a great height by abundant streams of waters. And a man’s soul, by the comforts and encouragements of the Holy Spirit, becomes – …
Grief and Healing within the Family
All humans are influenced by their interactions with significant others throughout their lives. One’s social context helps people understand, organize, and define themselves and their situations. Thus it is common and natural that the loss of a significant other brings a great loss of one’s own identity and reality. The loss of a person who has been so important in defining one’s self and environment leads a person to grief. The absence of this relationship – …
Grand Opening of Archangel Raphael Church Building
On December 7, 2009, His Grace Bishop Serapion and several diocesan priests celebrated the grand opening of the new church building at Archangel Raphael Coptic Orthodox Church in Palmdale, California. His Grace was joined by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Western United States and several dignitaries, including: Mr. Norm Hickling, Field Agent for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovitch Mr. Isaac Barcelona, Representative – …
The Blessed Month of Kiahk
The Coptic Orthodox Church honors the Holy Theotokos Saint Mary many times throughout the year. The Coptic month of Kiahk is one such time in which the Church venerates Saint Mary in the context of commemorating our Lord Jesus Christ’s incarnation and glorious birth. This time of year is precious, because it focuses believers on the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. This month reminds us why the Lord chose Saint Mary to be His – …
Two Ways of Suffering
People react quite differently when confronting suffering. Some cry out in anger; others rebel in frustration. Another might seek scapegoat to vent his frustrations. A fourth might instead abandon the way of purity and righteousness, and decide to live a life of pleasure and lust, feeling almost justified to lust for his light affliction. St. Cyril of Alexandria explains that the entire purpose of the Incarnation was for our Beloved, Lord Christ was to save – …