St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church

Business Details

St. Mary’sCoptic Orthodox Church in Lynnwood, WA (Seattle area) was originally established in 1969. We started with a very small congregation of about 13 families. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III sent priests from neighboring states to pray the liturgy. The first priest to come to the area was Father Bishoy Kamel, who would pray in a rented facility when he had the chance to travel up from California.

During the 1970's a wave of immigrants came from Egypt and by 1976 we had around 30 families. The church grew immensely from the 1970's to the 1990's.During that time the church was served by Father Rueweis El-Anthony from St. Anthony’s Monastery in Egypt, Father Angelos Saad, who now serves in Mississauga,Canada, the now reposed Father Ibrahim, and Father Takla Azmy. During their years of service, there was an increase in the size of the congregation which motivated a dedicated effort to look for a new site where adequate facilities can be established to serve the growing needs of the Coptic community in the area.

In 2005, the Church moved to a new and bigger plot of land (current site). Also, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III appointed His Grace Bishop Abakir (currently overseeing the Coptic Diocese of Scandinavia) to coordinate the service of the church until His Holiness Pope Shenouda III appointed Father Arsanios Hanna in 2006 to serve the church, which he does so until now.

Shortly after, St.Mary’s spiritual services and ministries grew alongside the congregation. To support growth, the Church expanded by acquiring the surrounding plots of land. Currently the church serves over 300 families. Our church focuses on being diverse both in membership and service. Everyone is welcome to join us in worship, and the various services (please see our website for a complete list).