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26 saturday sept 28 2002 economist sun stouffville tribune faith new nnm members of ancient faith plan to create 12acre coptic village in markha by mike adler staff writer when he arrived here in 1964 he was the only coptic priest in north america he had been ordained that same year and given a new first name that exactly matched his last marcos toronto was a long way from suhag the hot provincial capital in southern egypt where he was raised but fr marcos marcos knew copts lived here too they were scattered through this foreign continent but he was going to find them gather them together and establish new churches starting with 19 families in toronto i came armed with a list of names all over north america but the numbers we were given were very few com pared to what we found later on recalled fr marcos chosen for his unique mission because he spoke english and knew the customs of h north america having studied on a scholar ship in the united states this one gives me the names of three friends and so on wherever i go i was adding to the list for years he travelled with a portable liturgy set to meet copts the word copt is an english version of arabic gibt or gypt mean ing egyptian in rented churches or their homes for counseling confes sions baptisms sunday school les sons anything that was needed i was living out of a suitcase practically those copts were encouraged to live near each other and fr marcos saw the first churches founded toronto in 1964 montreal in 1967 los angeles in 1970 jersey city in 1971 but we have not forgotten the places where we have only two copts faith has blossomed in just one generation the coptic faith has blossomed in canada in southern ontario alone there are 12 coptic churches including one in rented premises in richmond hill but the first st marks in scarborough is still north american headquarters for copts fr marcos living in markham and married with a son daughter and three grandchildren still leads its congregation of 1000 families most of whom also live in markham qiir people feeh mote secure when they find a church close by st marks is crowded these days but local copts are preparing to build a larger church domed as all coptic churches are plus a great cathedral capable of holding 2000 to 2500 worshippers inside a 12acre coptic village in markham school part of village the village designed by an inter national competition will be just blocks away from the present st marks on steeles avenue at ferrier street it will encompass a school a community centre professional offices seniors apartments a nurs ing home a bishops residence although there is as yet no north american bishop and a museum containing manuscripts icons ancient coins work j and folkloric paintings like fr marcoss family and ordination name t h e name of the new coptic vil lage will honour st mark who it is believed brought christianity to egypt around 49 to 54 ad the coptic orthodox patriarchate is one of the oldest sects of christianity one that has changed little over the long centuries st marks conducts all its services in arabic and coptic ancient egyptian spelled in an expanded greek alpha bet as well as english all three languages adorn a half- tonne granite box the time capsule and village cornerstone blessed this month by the visiting pope shenouda iii patriarch of the see of st mark as about 2000 of the faith ful gathered for a festival passed through waves christianity flourished in egypt until the 7th century suhag on the nile 470 kilometres south of cairo is the site of early christian monaster ies and churches when it was con quered by muslim arabs coptic was banned in the 10th century and copts in egypt have endured periods of persecution we passed through waves according to the whim of the ruler fr marcos said when the ruler is tolerant we have a more peaceful time staff photosteve somerville more on the copts and their history is avail able from the st marks church website stmarktorontoxncoptorthodoxca in just one generation the coptic faith has blossomed in canada there are currently 12 coptic churches including one in richmond hill fr marcos marcos and other york region copts are planning to create a coptic village oaa2acrc property in markham