THE FIERY SPIRIT - Coptic Orthodox Electronic Publishing

Coptic priest?” I answered, “First he has to be a church
member.” Then I asked her why does she want him to be a
Coptic priest, she responded, “We felt that we were in heaven!”
She did not complain of the duration and length of the Liturgy,
but she felt that the congregation prayed, with one accord, and a
kindled spirit, which made her feel as if she was in heaven.
In the city of Queens in New York, the Copts hired a
church for prayers. On Good Friday they asked the pastor of the
church if they could hire the Church from seven in the morning
to seven o’clock in the evening. He did not believe that anyone
could persevere in prayers all that time. So he personally
attended the prayers and commented to the late, Father
Antonius Baky, “Now I know why all these people, including
children, attend such prolonged prayers, as I personally have felt
the strength of the Spirit!
When Father Bishoy Kamel started his service in Los
Angeles, some asked him to shorten the prayers on Good Friday
so that people would attend. But he insisted on keeping it as it
was and people used to participate in the worship, and listen to
the word of God, with joy and elation of heart.
In St. George’s Church, at Sporting, an American
attended the holy Liturgy, at the same time he had an
appointment with an eminent member at ten o’clock. His
attendant reminded him of the meeting, but he refused to go. At
the end of the Liturgy he commented, “I was greatly fascinated
and strangely captivated. There was no way that I could have
left the service!”
On meeting an Anglican Bishop at St. Mary’s Church in
Cleopatra, Alexandria, during the summer holidays, when the
weather was extremely hot, he asked me what was the secret of
the success of the Church in Egypt in attracting the youth. He
added, “May I take a photograph of the church, as it is the most
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