Bishop Serapion
Encyclopedia
Bishop Serapion of the Los Angeles
(Arabic الأنبا سرابيون ) was born in Assiut on November 10, 1951. Following his graduation from the Faculty of Medicine at Assiut in 1975, Bishop Serapion formerly practiced medicine in Aswan
.
on April 8, 1979.
He was ordained monk
on August 6, 1979, and was ordained priest
on July 18, 1981. Thereafter, on December 23, 1982, he was assigned to serve the Coptic
congregation in Zurich
, Lausanne
, and Geneva
, Switzerland
.
for General and Social Services, since then he became a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. During his tenure in this capacity he established three major departments designed for
Training centers were created to educate and train 300 workers every year in various trades, which helped in improving their standard of living. Numerous projects were founded and employed large numbers workers. Serving the Coptic families extended to rural areas and small villages where spiritual guidance, medical services, housing, and financial assistance were offered.
Bishop Serapion has represented the Coptic Orthodox
Church at the International Council of Churches. He has established long term relationships with other churches in the United States
, Canada
, and Italy
, and was the first Coptic bishop invited to attend the annual conference of the Church of Scotland
.
, Pope Shenouda III, consecrated Bishop Serapion to be Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles
.
On December 23, 1995, he was enthroned by Bishop Sarabamon, Bishop Hedra, Bishop Rowiss, Bishop Mittaous, Bishop Youssef, and Bishop Karas
as Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(Arabic الأنبا سرابيون ) was born in Assiut on November 10, 1951. Following his graduation from the Faculty of Medicine at Assiut in 1975, Bishop Serapion formerly practiced medicine in Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
.
Joining the Monastery
The Bishop joined the Monastery of Saint PishoyMonastery of Saint Pishoy
The Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Wadi El Natrun , Beheira Governorate, Egypt, is the most famous Coptic Orthodox monastery named after Saint Pishoy. It is the easternmost monastery among the four current monasteries of the Nitrian Desert....
on April 8, 1979.
He was ordained monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
on August 6, 1979, and was ordained priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on July 18, 1981. Thereafter, on December 23, 1982, he was assigned to serve the Coptic
Coptic Christianity
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt and the Middle East. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different...
congregation in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
General Bishop for social services
On June 2, 1985, he was ordained BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
for General and Social Services, since then he became a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. During his tenure in this capacity he established three major departments designed for
- the growth and development of services,
- serving the family, and
- international relationship with other churches.
Training centers were created to educate and train 300 workers every year in various trades, which helped in improving their standard of living. Numerous projects were founded and employed large numbers workers. Serving the Coptic families extended to rural areas and small villages where spiritual guidance, medical services, housing, and financial assistance were offered.
Bishop Serapion has represented the Coptic Orthodox
Coptic Christianity
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt and the Middle East. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different...
Church at the International Council of Churches. He has established long term relationships with other churches in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and was the first Coptic bishop invited to attend the annual conference of the Church of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Bishop of Los Angeles
On November 14, 1995 at Saint Mark’s Cathedral at Anba Rowiss Abbassia, EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Pope Shenouda III, consecrated Bishop Serapion to be Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles
Diocese of Los Ángeles
The Diocese of Los Ángeles can refer to:* Roman Catholic Diocese of Los Ángeles, in Chile* Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, in California* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in California...
.
On December 23, 1995, he was enthroned by Bishop Sarabamon, Bishop Hedra, Bishop Rowiss, Bishop Mittaous, Bishop Youssef, and Bishop Karas
Bishop Karas
Bishop Karas was the first bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States and the first abbot of the church's first monastery outside of Egypt.-Biography:...
as Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii.
External links
See also
- Coptic Orthodox Church in the United StatesCoptic Orthodox Church in the United StatesThe immigration of the Copts to the United States of America started as early as the late 1940s. After 1952, the rate of Coptic immigration from Egypt to the United States increased. The first Coptic church in the United States is St...