Foundation of the First Coptic Orthodox Church in Mexico

Indeed, the construction of the church began, yet sending a priest took long procedures including an official approval of the Coptic church in the country and the issuance of a visa.

Fr Mikhail Edward kept ministering there through various visits where he celebrated liturgies, held meetings, and fulfils the ministry needs of the Coptic community there, including marriages and baptisms and received Mexican families that loved our small church there.

Fr Mikhail presented an official request for recognition of the Coptic Orthodox Church as denomination in Mexico, he did attach a letter from Pope Shenouda III, a delegation from Pope Shenouda and other documents concerning the Coptic community living there all in Mexican language along with the charter of the Coptic church in the USA.

A decree number SGAR/2588/2003 was issued from the Mexican Ministry of Interior recognizing the Coptic Orthodox Church in Mexico. The letter of approval was received on 10 June 2003, thus providing us with the right to build Coptic churches all over  Mexico. We thank the Lord for His grace and the expansion of His kingdom.

When he received the recognition certificate from Dr Javier Moctozuma Barragain the vice-minister of Interior for Religious Affairs and Dr Alvaro Castro Estrada the General director of Religious Affairs in the Mexican Ministry of Interior, Fr Mikhail Edward was accompanied by Engineer Shehata Samir Lucas 011-52-735-3576287 and Engineer Sameh Mikhail 011-52-735-3564918 who are active members of the Coptic Community in Mexico. We do thank them for their efforts and we publish their phone numbers in order to allow people that they may be contacted for pastoral ministry.

As for the construction of the church, the ceiling of the first floor cement was laid down. This ceiling is the floor of the upper church. In the first floor lays the hall, offices,  general clinic, dentist clinic, pediatric clinic and a pharmacy. The second floor is the church having a Coptic dome above the altar and a bell tower. Three buildings are affiliated to the church, those being a nursery and a primary school (6 years). The upper floor is a residence for the monk priest, the Pope and guests. Each building has a possibility of adding two other floors in the future. As for the issuance of a visa and the arrival of a priest, we shall shortly receive it following the recognition of the church there.