Pope Tawadros Travels to Los Angeles to Lay Cornerstone of New Coptic Church

Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark flew to Los Angeles Tuesday to lay the cornerstone of Saint Youstina Coptic Church, according to Youm7.

 

Amidst priests, expat copts, Egyptian Consul Lamia Mekheimar, and Bishop Serapion of the local Diocese, the pope laid a box containing the Bible, a prayer booklet, and a report signed by both the pope and the Bishop of the Diocese. The box also contained several currencies and newspapers so that “next generations know the nature of the times in which the church was built."

 

The Coptic pope’s three week trip to the U.S. is his first since assuming the papacy in 2012 and has been met with significantly less pomp than his Roman counterpart’s recent visit. His tour of the United States also included a stop in Tennessee where he ordained priests and consecrated new church facilities. The pope also inaugurated another church in California on Oct 9th.