The congregation of the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George, in Brooklyn, New York, is
praying for peace in Egypt. The Coptic community in Egypt has suffered grievous persecution including, most recently, the deaths of dozens of people after a protest against the burning of a church. A member of the church, John Fanouse, spoke to a local paper after services marking the end of a three-day vigil.
From the article:
“Firstly, it is sadness on the fact that there have been lives lost—we consider them our brothers and sisters. The only difference between a 25-year-old who got killed and me is that 30 years ago, my parents moved to America,” Fanouse said.
“Second, we are joyful; because in the Christian faith, we believe that these people died in the name of Christ, they were martyrs. We believe that they were out there despite knowing that when you go out on a protest, being a Christian, you have more potential of being killed.”
