The Coptic Orthodox Church
Interview with Mino Abdelmessih and George Sedrak, members of the Orthodox Congregation
Introduction
America is known as “The Melting Pot” for being a culturally diverse place that can withhold people of all different ethnicities and religions. America stretches out a warm welcoming hand, and in response, the Coptic community grabs hold. Recent governmental outbursts have caused a spark in the immigration of Copts to America. In order to gain a better understanding of what immigrants and first generation Americans go through, Mr. Abdelmessih and Mr. Sedrak gave their viewpoints about transitioning to American culture. Through their interviews, one can gain a better understanding about the difficulties of assimilation, the Coptic Church’s direct influence on the growing Coptic community, and the reasons behind the small documentation of this growing community.
Background
The Coptic Orthodox Church, is the largest Christian church in Egypt, as well as the Middle East. However, the community is not limited, as it incurs a following from all over the world. The church is based in Alexandria, as well as Cairo, Egypt. History states that Saint Mark started the church in the 1st century AD. This church takes pride in its ability to remain the same since its beginning. Every Coptic Orthodox Church has been built facing the east, uses the same symbolic pictures, and contains the same architectural design.
The Coptic Orthodox Church’s prevalence is Staten Island is obviously increasing based on the existence and expansion of the two existing churches, St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church and Archangel Michael and St. Mena Coptic Orthodox Church. About a decade ago, Staten Island did not have a single Coptic Orthodox Church, but because of the recent growth of the Egyptian population, Archangel Michael and St. Mena stands at 39,021 square feet. St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church is currently expanding its church to accommodate its increasing congregation.
Mr. George Sedrak, my father, is very close to his church and is a man who reestablished himself in America. His interview serves as a first hand experience of the struggle to transition from a successful life led in Egypt to starting at the bottom here in America. His story helps give a personal account of how the church has changed and has become a more powerful entity. Mr. Mino Abdelmessih, a good friend of mine, serves as a Bible Study Teacher within his church, and serves to give a different perspective for a younger generation of people. Mr. Abdelmessih’s interview allows us to learn about the modern day efforts of the church to help assimilate people of all ages. Together, Mino’s insightful interview as a first generation American shows an interesting contrast with Mr. Sedrak’s interview.
“The Struggle”
“I’m a first generation American, born to two Coptic Orthodox immigrants,” said Mino Abdelmessih as he discussed the struggles his parents went through to transition to American lifestyle. Mino stated that America was, “A whole new world” and that, “everything was different, including the economy and fashion.” Mino explained the original “struggle” his father went through when he came to America. He discussed how his father left Egypt as a professional and started working in America with a very low-income job. He said, “My mother had an easier transition than my father because she was able to come to America and move into the house that my father had spent a lot of time and effort preparing.” He also mentioned how his father’s past study abroad experience allowed him to get used to the language in America unlike his mother who struggled “adjusting to the language” because she was a stay at home mom. Similarly, Mr. Sedrak’s personal experience supported Mino’s father’s story. Mr. Sedrak stated, “I grew up and graduated in Egypt where I started my own engineering company, then moved to America and worked as a cab driver.” Mino’s father like Mr. Sedrak and other immigrants had to “make adjustments,” according to Mr. Sedrak, in order to establish themselves in this new country.
The Dream
Mino and Mr. Sedrak both discussed how the image of America is blurred. “People believe the American dream will come easy and that the streets are filled with gold,” according to Mr. Sedrak. This unreal fantasy of America is just one reason discussed by these men that might explain the recent growth in Coptic Orthodox population in Staten Island. Mr. Sedrak and Mino also described the recent influx of Egyptians to Staten Island as a result of the economic problems that have worsened recently because of the Revolution. Both these men described the dirt-poor conditions of most of the residents of this country except for the small amount who live luxurious life styles.
Reasons for Immigration
Both Mino and Mr. Sedrak also described “religious persecution in Egypt” today as a contributing factor of immigration to America. Persecution has caused Egyptians to leave their beloved homeland to protect their families and their lives. Mino discussed how “Egypt has always been a land of persecution,” and how the Bible points to Egypt as “a holy land that will always be filled with Christ’s followers.” Mino discussed how the church’s teachings tell people to love their enemy, and know they will be persecuted for following Christ, but it is something they will do. Mr. Sedrak’s daily use of media and “direct contact with relatives” have informed him about the “destruction of many churches,” Christian owners’ stores, Christians’ homes, as a means of forcing them to flee from the extremist group known as the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Orthodox Church On Assimilation
Mino volunteers as a Bible Study and Sunday School Teacher in his church. When asked about the struggle for some of his students, he stated, “the language barrier can be problematic.” He stated, “For some students in the class, I describe the story being discussed in very simple Arabic.” He mentioned that his students were very quick to pick up on the language. “Within a few short months, they were speaking English better than some of the adults.” When asked why he thought so many people were establishing homes in Staten Island, he said that he knows “Copts are very close to their religion” and even though they may not know the people in their church they can “connect quickly.” He said that the, “connection to the church is mainly because Copts feel a sense of home because the church service doesn’t differ from that in Egypt.”
Mr. Sedrak’s interview, like Mino’s, also described ways for young adults to assimilate into America. Mr. Sedrak pointed out, “During my youth, the church was my home and it was fun because it had many leagues in all sports to keep the youth connected.” He stated that here in America, since there has been a growth, a basketball and soccer league have grown on the East Coast to help Copts throughout the East Coast to, ” meet each other, and push each other towards Christianity.” Mr. Sedrak said he originally felt sorry for the youth for not having any organized sports but he was happy that the church became more organized and placed emphasis on the needs of its youth.
Lastly, both of these men discussed the effort the church puts into aiding all of its incoming immigrants. Mr. Sedrak’s personal experience showed how individuals come to the church and teach others how to do things, such as the engineer who explained to Mr. Sedrak about how to take the Engineering License Examination. Mr. Sedrak also showed how he is personally one of many people who aids in the settlement of the immigrants by using the apartment he owns to help families stay sheltered until they find permanent living. The church urges its entire congregation to build each other up by giving each other a hand when they need help. From personal experience, I know that Father Isaac is man who helps immigrants find small jobs by using connections he has made with people in the business world. My mother has helped countless families who have difficulty speaking English to enter the school system at age appropriate levels so their kids can get the right education.
Are They Really Growing?
Both men had similar replies and explained that in recent years, Copts had written Orthodox or Christian or Egyptian on the consensus, and thus split this category of people into many categories. Both men discussed how the Church has called for people to write Coptic Orthodox on the recent consensus, in order to stand out for political representation. They both hope that the use of one name on the consensus will show how the Coptic population is not only growing in Staten Island, but in America.
My Reflection
Both of these interviews served as important means of understanding the Coptic Orthodox community. Mino’s experiences and strong ties to the community show a different understanding of the struggle to assimilate. Although Mino was not an immigrant, his work, teaching students about the Bible, allows him to peak into their lives, and help them step over the obstacles they face. Mino’s work like many other Coptic Christians’ is extremely important in encouraging more people to come to America. Mr. Sedrak’s personal experience in Egypt and assimilating into America served as a great way of understanding the differences and challenges incorporated with immigrating. His status as, a nationalistic member of Egypt, and a member of the congregation allows people to see that Egypt is going through a very difficult time in its history. His interview shows that many Copts don’t want to leave their homeland, but have to because they aren’t safe.These two men help me see the importance of community ties and how working together is the only true way of getting things accomplished. In order for Copts to become a represented and dominant force in the United States, the church and its congregation must stand together.
Written by:
Miriam Sedrak
The Coptic Orthodox Church and Its Role On Staten Island
Interview with Father Isaac Sorial, Coptic Orthodox Priest and Egyptian Immigrant
Jessica Longo’s Interview with Father Isaac Sorial
Introduction
Within Staten Island, there is a very tight knit community of Coptic Orthodox Christians. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, more commonly known as just Coptic Orthodox, is the largest Christian church in Egypt, as well as the Middle East. However, the community is not limited, as it incurs a following from all over the world. The church is based in Alexandria, as well as Cairo, Egypt. History tells that Saint Mark started the church in the 1st century AD
Although churches are widespread across New York State, Staten Island itself consists of two Coptic churches for its inhabitants. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Archangel Michael and Saint Mena is the larger of the two, and is located in Great Kills on Amboy Road. The second church is Virgin Mary & St. George Coptic Orthodox Church which is located in Tottenville on Main Street.
Despite their growing demographic on Staten Island, the Coptic Orthodox Church, as well as Egyptian immigrants, are often looked over and ignored as far as documentation goes. So little has been researched and recorded, which leaves a rich culture in the dark. Most of these immigrants are so desperate to join the American culture, but their new homeland, in turn, does not bother to learn about theirs. This lack of intrigue wraps itself in a vicious cycle: documentation on these immigrants are not readily available and researched because the community is one that is hidden away, and because they are hidden away, there is no room for further research. As the Coptic Orthodox Church slowly, but steadily, emerges uniformly from the shadows, there will be more research and documentation on their rich and vivid culture.
Father Isaac Sorial
Although my written paper was written about The Coptic Orthodox Church of Archangel Michael and Saint Mena, I interviewed one of the priests from the Virgin Mary & St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Father Isaac Sorial. Father Isaac is one of the youngest Coptic Orthodox priests to be ordained and entered the priesthood in 2010 while only in his mid-twenties.
Religious Freedom in Egypt VS Religious Freedom in New York
Father Isaac took me by surprise with his critical description of life in Egypt. He claimed that a major impact that America had on him was his freedom to freely express his religion. He states, “Some things we loved because – wow – now we are allowed to do that. You know, we are allowed to talk about our faith in school. We are allowed to talk about what we do on Sunday. If you ask me, ‘How was your weekend?” I will tell you straight forward, ‘You know what, I went to Church on Saturday in Sunday.’ In Egypt, I cannot say that.” Moving to America gave him true free reign to talk about a major part of his life, something that was not readily accepted in his own homeland.
Immigration Services Within the Coptic Church
When asked about the growing Egyptian population on Staten Island, Father Isaac responded by explaining the changing demographic. In years past, when Egyptian immigrants came to America to meet their families that had preceded them here, they had dispersed all throughout the city to places like Brooklyn and Queens, and even father out to Long island as well as New Jersey. He explains, “After they’re more established and after they’re well set, 3, 4, 5, 6 years, then they come to Staten Island. But now we have newcomers from the airport straight to here.” In what seems to be a hand-in-hand relationship, as the Egyptian population on Staten Island grows, the more likely Egyptian immigrants are to come to Staten Island because they can find a comfortable place for themselves and their families. They add to the growing population and expand the Egyptian community, adding to the already rich culture it holds in New York. Many immigrant churches help incoming travelers settle in to America, providing them with goods and services that allow them a comfortable, fresh start at a new life. Father Isaac and his church are no different. He often receives phone calls or emails from people currently living in Egypt with no family in America that hope for a new life in here, “We get them mattresses, beds, food in the fridge. We get them everything ready for them when they come. And then once they’re here, then we have to look for a job. That’s a big service in the church for newcomers.” In the eyes of those in Egypt seeking a new life, Father Isaac and the Coptic Church community on Staten Island is a safe haven. They are ensured cultural and religious protection, something not seen in Egypt, as well as a place to live and thrive.
Lack of Egyptian and Coptic Orthodox Christian Immigration Documentation
I asked Father Isaac why he thought that Egyptian immigration, as well as Coptic Orthodox Christianity, is not well documented in New York City. He recalled the church giving instructions to answer “Coptic Orthodox” for ethnicity. Prior to those instructions, people would answer differently for that question. Therefore, the Coptic Orthodox community was being spread out, and, in turn, diminished. However, Father Isaac explained, “We were not on the same page, and after that happened, we started to be more documented. The US then saw that we have a big number of just one thing, one denomination.” He proceeded to tell me about an experience he had in a hospital in Long Island whilst answering pre-surgery question. The nurse asked him what religion he was, but he assured her that his would not be listed. Despite his confidence, Coptic Orthodox was in fact listed in the checkboxes and it left Father Isaac presently surprised that the strength of Coptic Orthodox Christianity had not only spread throughout New York City, but beyond to Long Island as well. He believes that now the community is growing stronger and more prevalent everyday.
My Experience with Father Isaac and Coptic Orthodox Christianity
Upon entering the church, I immediately felt welcomed. Members all greeted each other warmly, as if all of them were distantly related somehow. Perhaps that church is the family bond that holds the Egyptian community on Staten Island so tightly together. Father Isaac Sorial greeted me with a warm smile and a friendly handshake. His son ran past me and waved to me as well, his large and bright eyes staring up at me innocently. Because there was a Holy Week service in progress, Father Isaac led me to his office to conduct the interview. Whilst on the way, he caught me off guard slightly by asking me questions – where my family & I were from, what I was majoring in school, and how I enjoyed life on Staten Island. His genuine interest set up a welcoming atmosphere that allowed me to feel comfortable asking him all the questions I had planned. When Father Isaac discussed his religious oppression in Egypt, I was caught off guard and felt truly moved by how appreciative he was of America’s tolerance for his beliefs and traditions. Perhaps this oppression is a large factor in the growing Egyptian community on Staten Island and contributes to the growing Coptic Orthodox Christian society as well. Furthermore, this oppression might lead Father Isaac to treasure his faith in America even more: he knows just what it means to have his beliefs silenced, therefore he can proudly deliver his services on Staten Island without worry or fear of being persecuted. Reading about the history of a certain ethnicity, religion, or any group of people tells an accurate, albeit flat and monotonous representation of history. However, going face to face with a member of such a live community gives a dynamic insight into the workings of that community. Speaking with Father Isaac brought a sense of intrigue to a subject I had never experienced before. Hearing his words and seeing the reactions he had to all his life’ s encounters made it nothing short of infectious. His vibrant understand and awareness of his church and his people’s roll in New York City diversity helped add crucial information to an often skimmed over group of people. At the end of the interview, Father Isaac thanked me for my time, interest, and most importantly, for helping spread a wealth of information about his people to the rest of the world. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but feel that I was the one to thank him for giving us such crucial and interesting information on people we interact with on a daily basis. Father Isaac’s contribution will be a lasting one on both myself and on New York City history.
Written by:
Jessica Longo
