Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of new orleans was founded in 1994. We are currently served by Fr. Youstos Ghaly who was ordained to the church in 1999. We are an apostolic church that dates back to the time of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.
The Coptic Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 43 A.D. The church adheres to the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius (296-373 A.D.), the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Church effectively defended the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Divinity at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title; “Father of Orthodoxy” and St. Athanasius “the Apostolic”.
The term "Coptic" is derived from the Greek "Aigyptos" meaning "Egyptian". When the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century, they called the Egyptians "qibt". Thus the Arabic word "qibt" came to mean both "Egyptians" and "Christians".
About Our Church
Who We Are
Our Patron Saint
Who is Saint Mark?
The second Gospel was written by St. Mark, who, in the New Testament, is sometimes called John Mark. Both he and his mother, Mary, were highly esteemed in the early Church, and his mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians there.
St. Mark was associated with St. Paul and St. Barnabas (who was Mark's cousin) on their missionary journey through the island of Cyprus. Later he accompanied St. Barnabas alone. We know also that he served in Rome with St. Peter and St. Paul. St. Mark is the founder of the Church in Alexandria.
St. Mark wrote the second Gospel, probably sometime before the year 60 A.D.; he wrote it in Greek for the Gentile converts to Christianity. The second Gospel is a record of the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of the Prince of the Apostles. He is the patron saint of notaries.
Hegumen Father Youstos Ghaly
Our Priest
Fr. Youstos Ghaly is the priest for St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church located in New Orleans, LA. H.G. Bishop Youssef ordained him priest on December 19, 1999. Fr. Youstos has been serving within the Diocese of the Southern United States since December 19, 1999 and has been serving in New Orleans ever since. On December 29, 2019, H.G. Bishop Youssef, with the presence of H.G. Bishop Gregory, elevated Fr. Youstos to hegumen. Fr. Youstos Ghaly also currently serves the communities of St. Mary of Egypt Coptic Orthodox Church Lafayette, LA and the Coptic Community of Hattiesburg, MS.
He serves our church with great love and zeal and we pray that the Lord will continue blessing his service.
If you would like to reach Fr. Youstos Ghaly, he may be contacted by:
Phone:
(504)-606-5883
Email:
fryghaly@aol.com
“Let us consider how we may spur one another toward love and good deeds.”
Hebrews 10:24
His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef
Our Bishop
Listening to the call of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef entered the monastic life in 1986 at the El-Souryan Monastery. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1988. Then in 1989, he came to the United States under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of the Holy See of St. Mark. He was appointed resident priest to serve the Coptic congregation of St. Mary Church in
Dallas/Fort Worth.
In 1992, His Grace was ordained as General Bishop and in 1993, His Grace was appointed to oversee the Southern Coptic Diocese. In 1995, His Grace was enthroned as the first Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Then in 2022, His Grace was elevated to Metropolitan by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,
the 118th Pope of the Holy See of St. Mark.
You may reach the Office of H.E. Metropolitan Youssef by telephone at 817-841-9353,
by fax at 817-704-2389, or by e-mail at office@suscopts.org.
H.H. Pope Tawadros II
Our Pope of Alexandria
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II is the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, serving as the spiritual leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church since November 18, 2012.
Born in Egypt in 1952, he dedicated his life to monasticism and the priesthood. He became a monk at the Monastery of St. Pishoy in 1988 and was consecrated as a bishop in 1997. His papal motto is “Love Never Fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
“Let us consider how we may spur one another toward love and good deeds.”
Hebrews 10:24