The 
                French Coptic Orthodox Eparchy, one of the dioceses of the Coptic 
                Orthodox Church of Alexandria, was canonically instituted by His 
                Holiness Abba SHENUDA III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of 
                Saint Mark's Predication, on June 2, 1974 - Whitsunday.
               
                On the same day, His Holiness Abba SHENUDA III, assisted by seventeenMetropolitans 
                and Bishops members of the Holy Synod, while believers watched, 
                ordained in St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo hieromonk MARCOS, from 
                the Abba BISHOI monastery in the Scete Desert (Wadi el Natroun), 
                as first Bishop of France.
               
                During the same ceremony, hieromonk ATHANASIOS, from the Abba 
                BISHOI monastery in the Scete Desert (Wadi el Natroun), was appointed 
                Deputy Bishop.   
                On 
                  June 18, 1994, His Holiness Abba SHENUDA III raised the French 
                  Coptic Orthodox Eparchy to the full status of French Coptic 
                  Orthodox Church.
               
              On 
                June 19, 1994, Whitsunday, as per the Julian calendar, His Holiness 
                Abba SHENUDA III, assisted by 62 Metropolitans and Bishops, ordained 
                in St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo Deputy Bishop Abba ATHANASIOS 
                as Bishop and bestowed Bishop Abba MARCOS upon the metropolis 
                for the whole of France.
               
                The French Coptic Orthodox Church addresses all French people 
                engaged in a spiritual quest as well as it addresses the spiritual 
                needs of all French Copts of the second and third generation.