The Coptic Orthodox Church

The Apostolic Age covers about seventy years, beginning with the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (around 30 AD) and ending with the departure of St. John the Apostle around 100 AD. During this time, Christianity spread rapidly across the world through the preaching and miracles of the Apostles. The Book of Acts tells of how thousands came to believe after St. Peter’s first sermon, how the early Christians faced persecution, and how the Gospel reached far beyond Jerusalem. It records the service of St. Stephen, the first deacon and martyr, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus into St. Paul the Apostle, the preaching of Philip in Samaria, and the missionary journeys of the Apostles who brought the light of Christ to many nations.

One of these Apostles is St. Mark the Evangelist, who brought the Christian faith to Egypt. He founded the Church of Alexandria, making it one of the earliest and most influential centers of Christianity. St. Mark is honored as the Beholder of God (ⲑⲉⲱⲣⲓⲙⲟⲥ), the first Patriarch of the See of Alexandria. He is also the writer of the earliest gospel as scholars have determined. Church historians record that he arrived in Alexandria around 43 AD, preaching Christ in a city that was then a great center of culture and learning. Alexandria is where Greek philosophy and Jewish traditions met. There, St. Mark established the Church’s foundation by ordaining St. Anianus was the first bishop who later became his successor as the second patriarch of Alexandria. He also founded the Theological School of Alexandria, the first theological academy in the world. He composed the liturgy that became known as the Liturgy of St. Cyril, which we still pray today.

St. Mark’s ministry flourished but was also met with fierce persecution. While celebrating the Feast of the Resurrection, he was captured by pagan worshipers, dragged through the streets of Alexandria. Thus, he received the Crown of Martyrdom in 68 AD. That night, the Lord appeared to him, calling him “My disciple and evangelist.” St. Mark’s blood became the seed of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and his mission bore fruit that endures to this day. From his time onward, the Church of Alexandria became a beacon of faith, theology, and holiness, a Church that has kept the same apostolic faith for nearly two thousand years.