About Us

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Birmingham has its roots back in the 1970’s. A small group of congregants would travel to London each week to attend church and this led to a priest visiting from London, when they could, to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the growing congregation. Eventually in 1981, they successfully acquired a church building which was consecrated at the hands of H.G. Bishop Missael on 31st April 1985 as St. Mary & St. Antony’s Church – the first Coptic Orthodox Church outside London. The church expanded and established St. Mary & St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Centre which the late Thrice Blessed Pope Shenouda III consecrated on 22nd August 1989. The Centre became a hub for the Copts in the U.K. and a meeting point for the Pope with the bishops and priests serving in Europe. It was enlarged with a new church in 2000 which Pope Shenouda consecrated on 19th February 2006. In late 2009 the church acquired a third place of worship near Solihull Town Centre, starting its service in 2011 for five years before undertaking a construction project for the Cathedral of St. Mary & Archangel Michael.