Norristown, PA – On Saturday, October 14, 2017 – on behalf of SCOOCH member and Patriarchal Exarch of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, H.G. Anba Karas – the V. Rev. Fr. Roufail Z. Youssef and the Rev. Fr. Mina Shaheid hosted the Fifth Annual Philadelphia Regional Concelebrated Liturgy at their home parish of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church. Participating clergy included Fr. Jacob (monastic) of Kidist Selassie Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Fr. John Bishara of St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church, Fr. Simon Mathai of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America and Fr. Jose Daniel of St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, along with the deacons and faithful of a number of local parishes.
After the Liturgy – and a delicious agape meal – the fathers participated in a panel discussion, fielding questions from the faithful, and Dn. Gebre Kristos Nicholas, of the Standing Conference’s secretariat, gave a presentation on the Oriental Orthodox Churches and on SCOOCH and its work.