A Coptic Orthodox congregation in British Columbia is preparing to rebuild its church nearly five years after an arson attack destroyed the sanctuary during a broader wave of fires targeting churches across Canada.
St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building next Sunday at 1 p.m.
The event is expected to bring together Surrey city council members, members of Parliament and clergy from churches that supported the congregation following the fire, according to The Christian Post.
“The new church will serve as a spiritual home for the St. George Coptic Orthodox community and future generations, while continuing the parish’s tradition of faith, service, and community contribution,” stated the church press release.
“With God’s grace, we believe that St. George Church will rise again — restored, renewed, and strengthened for generations to come.”
The original church building was set on fire on July 19, 2021, destroying the sanctuary and forcing the congregation to hold services at another church.
Earlier in 2021, reports emerged about two suspected mass graves at former residential schools created to assimilate Indigenous children and operated by the Canadian government and the Catholic Church.
Those reports were followed by a series of church arsons, particularly in western Canada and Indigenous communities. St. George Coptic Orthodox Church had no connection to the residential school system.
Beginning in 2022, several researchers publicly questioned the original claims concerning the suspected mass graves.
Church spokesperson Steven Faltas told The Christian Post at the time that the attack demonstrated that “no place of worship is currently safe in Canada.”
“Places of worship are currently under attack nationally and will continue to be until there is a political solution to the narrative,” he added. “We urge the Canadian Government to invest the money and effort required to ensure places of worship and their congregants [are] safe and to assist in the rebuilding process.”
Kathleen Panek was arrested in August 2021, one month after the church fire, and later charged with setting fire to both St. George and a townhouse earlier that year.
Panek was convicted in connection with both fires and sentenced to four years in prison in April 2022.
