Coptic Church Festival Looks to Bring Community Together

As he sits in his office at Archangel Michael Church in Howell, Father Ishak Mansour has plenty to be excited about. Just outside his window work is continuing on the main building of his church, the congregation continues to grow and become a bigger part of the Coptic and Howell communities. And starting tomorrow Mansour expects a large turnout from around the state to come to his church for their annual festival.

The church will hold its annual festival the next two weekends in an effort to bring everyone together even before the congregation has met in the main church building. Mansour said after sharing space with other religious organizations in the area since it was founded in 1991, this will be the first time they will be able to welcome people to their official home. 

The fact that the church members can bring people from all around the area to their church and their community makes things even more special. "Last year we started here, but at the time we were not ready because the building itself is not completed," Mansour said. "This year, thank god, the situation is better than last year."

With some activities scheduled to be held in the fellowship hall and others outdoors weather permitting, the priest said there is a lot of excitement in this year's event. "The main goal of that was to encourage the youths to have some activity," he said. "We have many activities to serve and to help the people that would come and we have many activities." That includes vendors selling a variety of items ranging from jewelry to Pharonic items as well as brass and silver pieces. 

Even more than the festival, Mansour said the community is an important part of what has made the church special. With more than 400 families as congregants, the fact that they can welcome not only other Coptic families but people from around the area makes the experience that much more special. 

That includes bringing the youth from around the area together to enjoy the things they have in common. "We try to encourage our youth to get the benefit from gathering together in the church," he said. The idea of getting the youth involved, he said stretches all the way to the top of the church and Pope Shenouda III. "If the church has no youth, the church has no future," Mansoursaid the leader of the church has told them. "We try to encourage our kids, encourage our youth to come to church, to have fun and to have a role. We encourage them to grow up in the church."

As with any festival, the food also figures to play a prominent role. Traditional Egyptian foods including shish kabob and falafel will be available. Mansour said in the 11 years the church has held the festival, they try to add new things to bring more people in. "We try to add something every year," he said whether that means something that will appearl to the children who attend or their families.

The festival will be held Saturday and Sunday this week and next and runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.