The renovations to the new Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Scituate are finally underway. What was formerly the St. Francis Cabrini Roman Catholic Church, is now the home of a Coptic Church Congregation. Vatican officials ordered for the closure of the church in 2004, in response longtime parishioners organized an occupational protest that kept someone in the church at all times for 4,234 days, which is a little more than 11 years. However, on May 29, 2016, the parishioners said goodbye to their church for the last time.

The Coptic Orthodox Church finds its beginnings in Egypt. It was founded in 42 AD and bases its beliefs off of Christianity. Its believed that Saint Mark established the church, an apostle during the 1st century. After its split from the rest of Christendom, it developed a hostile relationship with its counterparts. In recent years, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, and Pope Francis have worked on resolving past tension and creating a healthy relationship between the churches.

On April 4 of this year, the Archdiocese of Boston sold the Church to St. Mary & St. George Coptic Orthodox Church for $2.45 million. The land surrounding the church was included in the sale as well, which included approximately 16 acres of land, spanning from uplands to wetlands.

The Reverend of St. Mary & St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Pishoy Mikhail, originally planned to renovate the church almost immediately. Their congregation’s previous location in Marshfield was swapped for the Scituate location’s potential. As a construction worker on the site said, “These people have been here every Sunday, working on it” (rebuilding the church.) “They’re getting it renovated to the point where they can use the building out back for school rooms,” he added.

The renovation of the church is lots of work, and the Coptic Community has truly come together. “They are all very hard-working people,” the construction worker said. “They had men women and children here… you don’t see that too often; it’s nice to see.”

The Coptic Orthodox Church provides an opportunity for Scituate to grow as a town. It will bring a new and exciting culture to the town that will expand horizons in Scituate. The opportunity to learn from a storied communities’ past will only strengthen the town’s community.

To learn more about the church and classes, you can visit their facebook page, St. Mary & St. George Coptic Orthodox Church Scituate, Ma.