“We Will Rebuild”: Egyptian Community Hopeful After Fire Destroys Orthodox Church

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“We Will Rebuild”: Egyptian Neighborhood Hopeful After Hearth Destroys Orthodox Church

St. George’s Church in British Columbia on July 19
Photograph by way of Vancouver Solar

Earlier this month, the Coptic Orthodox neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada woke as much as a devastating tragedy after the St.George Coptic Orthodox Church was destroyed in a hearth.

The reason for the fireplace, which began round 3:30AM on Monday 19 July, is being investigated by Canadian police. Every week previous to the fireplace, Canadian safety authorities had been notified of an tried assault on the identical church, in response to a press release by the Coptic Orthodox Bishops of North America. Digicam footage captured an tried arson assault on Wednesday 14 July, simply days earlier than the devastating fireplace that in the end destroyed the church.

Within the first arson try, surveillance digital camera footage confirmed that at roughly 2:30 am on July 14, a girl approached the church door and lit gadgets on fireplace.

Breaking: Police have confirmed that there was an arson try final week at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey, British Columbia. The Church was destroyed by a hearth early this morning. pic.twitter.com/2CIDNGLnHz

— PM Breaking Information (@PMBreakingNews) July 19, 2021

In an official assertion by Bishop Mina, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in Mississauga, Vancouver, and Western Canada, the St.George Coptic Orthodox Church referred to as on John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia, and native authorities to “instantly and expeditiously conclude this investigation”. However, the assertion concluded by stressing that the church will “at all times be open for all and proceed to be a beacon of sunshine and hope for all in (our) neighborhood”.

“It was the very first thing our neighborhood woke as much as: the information of our church being burnt to ashes. I couldn’t imagine my eyes after I noticed the ruins. Simply two weeks in the past, COVID restrictions have been eased and our church was fantastically adorned to welcome again the congregants, and youngsters have been thrilled to begin their summer time actions. It has been extremely tough to course of what occurred,” mentioned Holy Hany, an undergraduate pupil at College of British Columbia.

Eight years in the past, Hany moved and began a brand new life in Canada along with her household. Since then, she has thought of this church “house”. “Church is a spot the place we freely observe our religion, but additionally a spot for us to study our tradition, communicate in our mom tongue and share a meal,” she defined.

Neighborhood members have been mourning the lack of their beloved church and all its belongings.

Regardless of all the pieces, Hany was proud to see her neighborhood keep sturdy. “Witnessing the braveness and energy of our congregation, standing collectively and singing hymns on the website of the church, has been humbling and provoking,” she mentioned.

“For Orthodox Christians, church just isn’t solely a constructing that we go to, however moderately part of our identification. It’s a place the place God meets with the folks to encourage and luxury them. It’s the sanctuary the place we have a good time our religion, heritage, historical past, and neighborhood. Nobody has the precise to take this away from us,” mentioned Father Pishoy Salama, Parish priest at St. Maurice & St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church in Markham, Ontario, Canada, in a heartfelt Instagram put up on his official account.

Almost 5 church buildings in British Columbia have been burnt down up to now month. Though authorities at present don’t have any data confirming that these incidents are associated, law enforcement officials and the Surrey Hearth Service are treating the incidents as “suspicious”.

The parish, which serves the Coptic Orthodox neighborhood from Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Canada, is at present amassing donations to rebuild the church constructing. The church served over 400 households, was concerned in a number of neighborhood outreach packages, and housed a licensed daycare.

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