Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States

06/03/2026

Global Coptic Day | June 1st
Presidential Message

Arabic Translation
في اليوم العالمي للقبط، نحتفل بالإيمان الراسخ والتقاليد العريقة والصمود المذهل للكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية.

قبل أكثر من ألفي عام، لجأت العائلة المقدسة إلى مصر هربًا من الاضطهاد، مباركةً الأرض التي أصبحت فيما بعد موطنًا لإحدى أقدم المجتمعات المسيحية في العالم. وعندما بدأ القديس مرقس الإنجيلي بنشر الإنجيل في مصر بعد عقود، غرس بذرةً نمت لتصبح الكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية العظيمة.

اليوم، يُثري المسيحيون الأقباط في جميع أنحاء الولايات المتحدة حياتنا الوطنية بتفانيهم لله، ومحبتهم لعائلاتهم، وشهادتهم الثابتة على نعم الإيمان والحرية. مع ذلك، واجه المسيحيون الأقباط في جميع أنحاء العالم قمع الإمبراطوريات والاضطهاد والعنف المروع - من شهداء مثل القديس موريس في العالم القديم إلى 21 عامل بناء قبطيًا أُعدموا بوحشية على يد إرهابيي داعش على شاطئ ليبي قبل 11 عامًا فقط. إن الاضطهاد العنيف للمسيحيين شرٌّ همجي، وإدارتي ملتزمة التزامًا راسخًا بإنهاء هذا الاضطهاد بكافة أشكاله. بصفتي رئيسًا، أنشأتُ بكل فخر لجنة الحرية الدينية لحماية حرية ممارسة الشعائر الدينية والحفاظ على الحقوق الأساسية للمؤمنين في جميع أنحاء بلادنا. كما تُعنى اللجنة بالعمل على تعزيز الحرية الدينية في جميع أنحاء العالم. تُعدّ أمريكا المثال الأسمى للحرية في العالم، وسندافع دائمًا عن حق كل إنسان في ممارسة شعائره الدينية علنًا وبحرية ودون خوف.

وبينما نحتفل بمرور 250 عامًا مجيدة على استقلال أمريكا، يُمثّل اليوم العالمي للقبط شهادةً راسخةً على حقيقةٍ مُتجذّرةٍ في صميم هذه الجمهورية، ألا وهي أن حرية ممارسة الشعائر الدينية هي حجر الزاوية في نظامنا الدستوري، والحرية الأولى التي كرّسها مؤسسونا، والحرية التي لطالما خشيها كل طاغية وسعى إلى تدميرها. يُذكّرنا المؤمنون في الكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية، الذين حملوا صليبهم عبر قرونٍ من المحن والمعاناة ليخرجوا منها أقوى في كل مرة، بكل أمريكي بالمعنى الحقيقي للثبات على الإيمان، والصبر بشجاعة، والتوكل على الله القدير.

On Global Coptic Day, we celebrate the enduring faith, time-honored traditions, and remarkable resilience of the Coptic Orthodox Church. More than 2,000

06/01/2026

The Fast & Feast of the Apostles

Background
This fast commemorates the fast observed by the disciples after the Ascension of Christ (Acts 10:10; 12:2, 3; 14:21-24; 27:9, 21). It starts on the Monday that follows Pentecost and ends on 5 Epep (July 12), when the Coptic church celebrates the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul. Since the Feast of Resurrection through Pentecost is a movable period, this fast has no fixed duration, but varies between fifteen and forty-nine days.

According to the Constitutions of the Holy Fathers 5.20: "... after you have kept the festival of Pentecost, keep one week more festival, and after that fast; for it is reasonable to rejoice for the gift of God, and to fast after that relaxation" (Constitutions, 1951, p. 449). The Coptic Orthodox Church, however, starts the fast immediately after Pentecost.

Read more:

How to benefit from the Fast & Feast of the Apostles

06/01/2026

The Apostles Fast
June 1 - July 11, 2026
Pashons 24 - Epep 4, 1742

Today marks the beginning the Apostles Fast and we pray that all the blessings of this fast be with you all.

"But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days." (Luke 5:35; Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:20)

Just as the apostles served the Lord Jesus Christ and later provided leadership to the first generation Christian believers, let this fast help us to be true witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ keeping the glory of God and our faith as the center point for overcoming any hardships within or without of the service.

May the Lord continue to let His church grow and multiply throughout the world.

06/01/2026

Feast of the Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt

"Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst." (Isaiah 19:1)

05/31/2026

Q&A with His Eminence

Q: Could Your Grace please explain the prayer of Prostration (SAGDA) on the Day of Pentecost? Although the descent of the HOLY SPIRIT was at the third hour (9 AM), the prayer is usually performed at the ninth hour (3 PM). Why are there three prayers with three Gospel readings?

Answer
It is the custom to pray the Prostration (Sagda) prayers on the ninth hour of Pentecost Sunday although the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the third hour (Acts 2:15).

In the Old Testament, God had commanded His people to celebrate the Passover annually at sunset, the same time they had left Egypt (Deut 16:6). Also fifty days after the Passover, on the feast of Pentecost, God gave Moses the Law. Therefore, the Church has arranged to pray the Prostration prayers at the ninth hour to point to the Lord Jesus Christ our Passover who was slain at this same time (Mt 27:50).
The Church fathers arranged these prayers into three parts based on the name of the Holy Trinity. The first and second prostration prayers take place in the second section of the church. The third prostration prayer is prayed in the first section close to the altar for when the believers use the trisagion they resemble the heavenly saying "Holy, Holy, Holy..." (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8).

This manner of prayers is biblically based. For just like when Jacob sought his brother Esau's mercy as he was coming back from his uncle Laban; he prepared great gifts of goats, rams, camels and donkeys; and arranged his people into three groups to get the acceptance of Esau. "And he commanded the first one, saying, 'When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?' "then you shall say, 'They are your servant Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.'' So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, "In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; "and also say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said, 'I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.' So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp" (Gen 32:17-21).

Thus the church has followed the path of those men of God in doing repeated offerings of many prayers, litanies and incense on behalf of her children; asking for His goodness and mercy in order to find favor before God.

Source: https://bit.ly/3XSK8UP

05/31/2026

Glorious Feast of the Pentecost

'And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit' (Acts 2:3-4). They partook of fire, not of burning but of saving fire; of fire which consumes the thorns of sins, but gives luster to the soul. This is now coming upon you also, and that to strip away and consume your sins which are like thorns, and to brighten yet more that precious possession of your souls, and to give you grace; for He gave it then to the Apostles. And He sat upon them in the form of fiery tongues, that they might crown themselves with new and spiritual diadems by fiery tongues upon their heads. A fiery sword barred of old the gates of Paradise; a fiery tongue which brought salvation restored the gift. - St. Cyril of Jerusalem

04/19/2026

First Sunday of the Holy Fifty Days
Thomas Sunday ~ one of the 7 minor feast of our Lord
Theme: Christ is our Faith

Holy Gospel ~ John 20:19-31
"Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" (John 20:29)

04/12/2026

Happy Glorious Feast of the Resurrection
Christ is Risen; Truly He is Risen!
Khristos Anesti; Alithos Anesti!
Pi-Ekhrestos Aftonf; Khen O Methmi Aftonf!

"His resurrection is more miraculous than that of the others in this one respect: The others had been raised by the prophets Elijah and Elisha. However, He was raised by none of the prophets, but by His Father in heaven." - Origen c. 248, E

04/11/2026

Festal Message from HE Metropolitan Youssef, HG Bishop Basil, and HG Bishop Gregory

English:https://cdn.suscopts.org/files/pdf/hgby/2026resurrectionmessage_en.pdf
Arabic:https://cdn.suscopts.org/files/pdf/hgby/2026resurrectionmessage_ar.pdf

04/11/2026

Bright Saturday

"Christ descended into Hades to save Adam and release all the righteous souls that had been taken captive in Hades." - St. Athanasius