Stony Point, NY – On Monday, April 22, 2024, the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCh) convened for its general spring meeting. The meeting was hosted by the President of SCOOCh, His Grace Bishop David, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York & New England, at Virgin Mary & St. Pachomius Coptic Orthodox Church. Also in attendance were His Eminence Archbishop Mor Dionysios John Kawak of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of the Eastern United States, His Eminence Archbishop Petros of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Archdiocese of New York & Its Affiliated Regions, His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and priests and deacons representing the Coptic, Syriac, Malankara-Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, and Eritrean Churches.
At the meeting, the bishops and their appointed delegates discussed a number of important matters including the state of affairs in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches, the resumption of concelebrated liturgies, youth conferences, and related events, and ecumenical relationships with external Christian bodies.
After the meeting, His Grace Bishop David and the priests of Virgin Mary & St. Pachomius, V. Rev. Father Yacoub Ghaly and V. Rev. Fr. Youhanna Abadeer, took their guests on a tour of their beautiful new cathedral before treating them to a Lenten luncheon.