The Bishop of Norwich joined celebrations for the first anniversary of a new Coptic church near Norwich.
St Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in Easton was built in traditional Coptic style with a tower, cross, domes, arches and icons.
Bishop Graham congratulated the congregation on all they had achieved with the help of God and said: “One of the things that I love about orthodox churches is that you are surrounded by your friends – that great cloud of witnesses – seen in the iconostasis. That has been an influence on many Church of England churches, including my own private chapel with its icons of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother Julian of Norwich.”
The Coptic Orthodox Church was founded by St Mark in 1st century Egypt and a congregation has been meeting in Norfolk for 30 years and worshipping in Easton for almost 20 years.
The Bishop of Norwich spoke of the connections between Coptic and Celtic Christians through the early centuries of the church, saying: “Archaeological finds such as Coptic bowls in Anglo-Saxon graves and St Mina pilgrimage flasks in Canterbury, York, Durham and other sites show cultural contact between Egypt and Britain in the 7th century. These influences shaped the early British church long before the Church of England existed, creating a shared spiritual heritage.”
He also spoke of his sorrow about the divisions within the Christian church through history and his relief that conflict has largely turned to conversation.
“The walls of our divisions do not reach as high as heaven. We know from experience that God chisels away at walls and is a builder of bridges,” he said, and concluded with an invitation to a significant new service at Norwich Cathedral.
“There has been a growing presence of Copts, especially with the presence of my dear friend Archbishop Angaelos at State Occasions, including the Coronation of Their Majesties, The King and Queen. And we have stood together at difficult times, and worked hard to relieve the suffering of persecuted Christians, and sought the freedom of religious belief in places where people of faith face daily challenges and fears. All of this has happened because of the strength of friendship between our communities,” said Bishop Graham.
“In July, the General Synod of the Church of England approved plans to introduce an annual commemoration for the ‘21 Martyrs of Libya’ – a group of Christian men martyred in 2015 – into the Church’s liturgical calendar.
“Modern day Christian Martyrs, the 20 Coptic Christians and one Ghanian were killed after they refused to renounce their faith. They had been targeted specifically for their Christian identity, and died with the words ‘O my Lord Jesus’ on their lips. These men whose worldly power was small, found the strength when facing death to witness with immense power. Their murder was intended as a message of terror, yet it became an extraordinary testimony to Christian courage and perseverance.”
Bishop Graham invited the people of St Athanasius Church to join the first annual commemoration service at Norwich Cathedral on February 15.
