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Coptic Orthodox Christians

Claire McCollum visits St George’s Cathedral in Hertfordshire to meet members of the UK’s thriving Coptic Orthodox community and explore its ancient roots in first-century Egypt.

Claire McCollum visits St George’s cathedral in Hertfordshire to meet members of the UK’s thriving Coptic Orthodox community and to discover how its roots can be traced all the way back to first-century Egypt. She meets archbishop Angaelos to discover how the Coptic Orthodox tradition fits in the worldwide family of the Church and what makes their worship unique. She learns that they have a pope and that the tradition was the cradle of monasticism.

Claire also meets Fadi Mikhail, a young iconographer whose work can be seen in churches and cathedrals across the world. He explains the great significance of icons in worship and the deeply spiritual experience of creating them.

In central London, young Coptic Orthodox Christians speak about putting their faith into action through the Coptic City Mission. Each week for the past 20 years the group has run a project to help the homeless, offering food, company and long-term support.

And Laura Wright meets classical-crossover stars the Ayoub Sisters. She asks them about growing up in a Coptic Orthodox family in Glasgow and how the worship of their church influences their music today. The sisters then perform a beautiful arrangement of an Arabic hymn.

With hymns and songs from across the UK celebrating the truths that unite the worldwide family of God.

34 minutes

Stories

The Coptic Orthodox Church
Claire McCollum meets Archbishop Angaelos, the first Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, to talk about the history, traditions, practices and beliefs of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Claire finds out what Coptic Orthodox community and worship looks like in the UK today.

Icons in worship
Claire McCollum meets iconographer Fadi Mikhail at a pop up studio to learn about the traditional art form. Fadi describes the intricate process of making icons, and the importance of iconography in Coptic Orthodox worship.

The Ayoub Sisters
Laura Wright meets multi-instrumentalist sisters Sarah and Laura Ayoub to talk about their Coptic Orthodox upbringing. Laura finds out how the sisters have been influenced by their Egyptian heritage and how Coptic Orthodox worship has impacted their music.

Coptic City Mission
We find out about Coptic City Mission – a service providing free meals and support to the homeless community in Central London, run by the Coptic Orthodox Church for nearly 20 years. Volunteers of all ages from the Coptic Orthodox Church share how their Christian faith inspires them to help those within the homeless community.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Claire McCollum
Presenter Laura Wright
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Producer David Waters
Production Company Avanti Media

Broadcast