NORTH SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The St. Mary and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church congregation has about 35-40 families, its priest estimated. Many of them were hard at work for a week prepping for the church’s annual Egyptian Festival.
“When we see that people are happy, and people are getting to know us and to know our heritage, we feel very satisfied,” said Father Kyrillos Sadek.
Christians are a minority in Egypt, despite their history being as old as Christianity itself. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Christians make up about 10% of the population of Egypt. Over 90% of them are Copts.
To many, Egypt may call to mind the ancient religions of Aten-Ra or Horus, or the dramatic Shakespeareanized story of Cleopatra…