The History of the Church in England
The History of the Church in England
The first Divine Liturgy celebrated in London took place in the 1950s, when the venerable Fr. Fr. Salib Sorial (priest of St. Mark’s Church, Giza) prayed on 10 August 1954, together with Fr. Makary El-Syriani (later Bishop Samuel). They were part of an ecclesiastical delegation en route to the United States to attend the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches. They were accompanied by Prof. Dr. Aziz Sorial Attia.
This liturgy was celebrated in a Greek Orthodox church building used by Cypriots residing in London.
This was followed by occasional pastoral visits by bishops and priests, the most significant being the visit of His Grace Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Christian Education (later His Holiness Pope Shenouda III). This took place in 1963.
By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the number of Copts in England began to increase. Some of them were servants who felt the need for an organized ministry in England, beginning in London as the capital and the largest concentration of Copts.
On 14 November 1970, the first regular spiritual meetings for Bible study began. Copts from Egypt and Sudan attended these gatherings. With the growth of the service, everyone felt the need for a priest among them to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and provide pastoral care. The choice fell upon Fr. Antonios El-Syriani (later Bishop Pachomius), who came to London and organized the service, celebrating the first Divine Liturgy on 20 June 1971 at St. Andrew’s Church in Holborn, one of the major churches in central London. About 50 people attended, and it was a great joy and a strong encouragement for the growth of the ministry.
After the departure of Pope Kyrillos VI on 9 March 1971, Bishop Anba Antonius of Sohag served as locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. He visited London for a week and celebrated a Divine Liturgy in August 1971, accompanied by Bishop Samuel.
During this period, Fr. Antonios El-Syriani returned to Egypt, and Fr. Matthias El-Syriani (later Bishop Rueiss, General Bishop) came to serve. He ministered with great zeal, love, and humility, and the people gathered around him.
During his service, London also received another pastoral visit from Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Christian Education (later Pope Shenouda III), who came after participating in a theological conference between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church. He met with the congregation and servants in London and advised them on the importance of acquiring a permanent church building instead of renting.
On 14 November 1971, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was enthroned, which was a blessing for St. Mark’s Church in London, as he was fully aware of the service and the people’s desire for its stability and expansion.
At the end of November 1971, Fr. Matthias El-Syriani returned to Egypt, and Fr. Agathon El-Syriani (later Bishop Agathon of Ismailia) came to serve in London from 29 November 1971 until his consecration as bishop at Pentecost 1972.
During this time, the faithful continued their efforts to find a permanent church building. In 1972, the Coptic Orthodox Church Foundation was officially registered with the authorities.
Afterwards, Fr. Kyrillos Kyrillos served for about a year, followed by Fr. Wissa El-Syriani (later Bishop Isaac), who served for about a year before returning to Egypt in May 1974.
In May 1974, Fr. Antonios Farag arrived to serve in pastoral ministry. The service expanded further, and he began traveling to other cities outside London to celebrate the Divine Liturgy.
The community intensified efforts to purchase a permanent church building. Eventually, two churches were found in Kensington, Allen Street W8, belonging to the Reformed United and Presbyterian denominations. One of them was to be sold and the congregations united in the other. Bishop Samuel visited and blessed the project, celebrating a Thanksgiving Prayer at the site.
On 6 January 1976, the initial contract was signed for the purchase of a church, which became St. Mark’s Church, Kensington. Work began immediately to prepare it for the Nativity Feast Liturgy, celebrated by Fr. Antonios Farag. It was a joyful occasion marking the beginning of a new permanent church home.
The church was gradually prepared according to the Coptic tradition, including a marble altar, a baptismal font, stained glass windows, and icons painted by the artist Isaac Fanous. A soundproof room was also prepared for mothers with children.
In February 1977, Fr. Antonios Farag returned to Egypt, and Fr. Shenouda Doss served in his place.
By Great Lent 1978, all services were centralized in the new church. In October 1978, Fr. Bishoy Beshara joined the service, and preparations intensified for the long-awaited visit of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
The historic pastoral visit took place from 27 January to 5 February 1979. During this visit, the Pope consecrated St. Mark’s Church and the baptismal font, making it a fully consecrated Coptic Orthodox church where the Divine Liturgy and all church activities are regularly held.
Afterwards, the service continued to expand, with priests serving in London and throughout England, including Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, and Ireland. New communities were formed in Croydon, Morden, and later in Colyson (St. Virgin Mary and St. Shenouda Church), as the ministry continued to grow across the country.
The efforts of the church council, deacons, servants, and all the faithful played a major role in supporting this growth, including the acquisition of housing for priests and ongoing plans for further expansion of church activities.
