THE CHURCH
Saint George and Saint Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church of Campbell--or "Saint George" as its members call it--serves the Coptic Orthodox Christian community of the San Jose area. The community was founded in the early nineties and a building was purchased in 1995. Up until that point, Copts from Monterey to San Francisco to Sacramento all attended St. Antonious Church in Hayward, the first and largest Coptic church in Northern California; some families drove over 2 hours each way every Sunday to attend a service. In 1995, St. George was the second church in Northern California; now there are 8.
It's estimated that about 80 families attend St. George regularly, which makes it about medium-sized for a Coptic church in the United States (some churches have upwards of 1000 families while some have less than 10). For these 60 families, there are plenty of church-related activities to attend. Along with Liturgies every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, there are weekly youth meetings, Bible studies, recreational activities, vesper prayers, and a barrage of other events such as weddings, baptisms, and youth group retreats. It's not uncommon for Copts to see other members of their church 6 or 7 days a week.
It's painfully clear that the St. George community needs a new church building. The sanctuary is often overcrowded, as is the meeting hall, and every conceivable space has been turned into a Sunday School classroom: the office, the back of the church, and even the grassy lot outside that is usually used for overflow parking.
Speaking of that grassy lot (pictured above in 2003), the community has been trying to build a new sanctuary there for what seems like forever.
It's a difficult situation that many Coptic communities face now--they feel that they are big enough to necessitate the construction of a Coptic church, but not big enough to fully fund it. Yet the St. George community will keep pushing forward in its attempt.
You can visit St. George Church on the web.
last updated 3/18/08