The Departure of Fr. Daniel Farag
With our firm faith in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come, the Diocese of Los Angeles announces the departure of the blessed and beloved hegomen, Fr. Daniel Farag of St. Mina Church in Riverside, on Wednesday afternoon, August 20, 2003. In the morning of this same day, Fr. Daniel celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Mina Church. Funeral services was held on Saturday, August 23rd, 2003 at St. – …
The Star
This star was not a common one–it was not even a star at all, as it seems at least to me. But some invisible power transformed into this appearance, is in the first place evident from its very course. For no star moves like this. For, we see the sun, moon, and all the other stars travel from east to west; but this was drifted from north to south–for so is Palestine situated with respect – …
The Monastery of Saint Antony the Great
Born in the Upper Egypt town of Coma near Heracleopolis in the year 251 A.D, St. Antony the Great, when orphaned at the age of 18, became a hermit and thus lived to 105 years old. He lived as an Anchorite, as still exists in Egypt, and it is said that he was tormented his entire life by flatteries and temptations of the devil. He, along with St. Pachomius, were two of the first exponents – …
Contemplations on the Feast of Ascension
We celebrate two great feasts on Thursday. The first great feast of the Lord is Great Thursday of the Holy Pascha, on which the Lord gave us the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The second is the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven, after He spent forty days with His disciples. This Thursday is also a Feast of the Lord called the Feast of Ascension. By the Ascension of the Lord, we – …
Passing on Peace in the Family
The words of St. Paul to his disciple, Timothy, were very strange, when he told him, “ I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also” (2Tim.1:5). Is faith inherited? The very genuine faith in the heart of Timothy, the son, was the very same faith as that living in the heart of his – …
Christ the Teacher
It pleases me on this blessed day to congratulate all of you on the occasion of the Nativity of the Lord Christ. I felicitate my Muslim brothers on this occasion as I felicitate my Christian brothers because the Lord Christ is for everyone and everyone believe in His miraculous virginal birth. I would like to talk to you about a single characteristic of His many characteristics and it is His characteristic as a teacher. They – …
Treasures of the Fathers: Third Sunday of the Holy Fifty Days (Samaritan Woman)
God Tires for Us In the Gospel lesson the holy evangelist has shown us most abundantly that our Lord Jesus Christ assumed the weakness of the human race…Our Lord Jesus Christ came to the field which holy Jacob had left to his son, Joseph. I do not think that this field was left to Joseph as much as to Christ, whom holy Joseph the patriarch prefigured, for truly the sun and moon adore Him, while – …
Oriental Orthodox Leaders Establish Joint Council
October 13, 2003, Pomona, CA Hosted by His Grace Bishop Serapion, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii, the leaders of the Oriental Orthodox churches met in the spirit of love and unity on October 7, 2003. The meeting, held at the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles headquarters in Pomona, H.G. Bishop Serapion welcomed Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; Archbishop Moushegh – …
Report on Joint Commission between Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church
REPORT Third Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches Etchmiadzin, Armenia, 27 – 30 January 2006 Catholic and Oriental Orthodox representatives, delegated by their churches, met 27-30 January 2006, as members of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, under the co-chairmanship of His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian – …
Coptic Educational Foundation Merit Achievement Award Reception
On August 6 2006 the Coptic Educational Foundation Merit Achievement Award Reception was held at the Marriott Hotel- Los Angeles. His grace Bishop Serapion, Fr. Boulos, Fr. Isaac, Fr. Michael, Fr. Raphael and over 140 guests attended this event. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the accomplishments of the high school seniors and to announce the 10 recipients of the CEF-Merit Achievement Award. The CEF received 21 applications from this award. Each of – …
Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in Western USA
On Tuesday, June 19, 2007, the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches of the Western USA convened at Saint Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Cathedral in Burbank, CA.
Oriental Orthodox churches in Western United States celebrated one Divine Liturgy
For the first time in history, the Oriental Orthodox churches in Western United States celebrated one Divine Liturgy of the Eucharist together at St. Maurice Coptic Orthodox Church in Pomona, on Thursday, April 22, 2004. This event was arranged by the leaders of the Oriental Orthodox in the Western United States: H.G. Bishop Serapion, Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaiiof the Coptic Orthodox Church; H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of – …