Non-Orthodox Visitors Policy

Non-Orthodox denominations must believe in the statement of faith of the Coptic Orthodox Church in order to utilize St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey Retreat Center. The Nicene Creed (“Orthodox Creed”) is the statement of faith of the Coptic Orthodox Church, written in the early fourth century by one of the Coptic Church’s most important figures, St. Athanasius the Apostolic.

The Orthodox Creed reads as follows:

Truly we believe in One God, God the Father, the Pantocrator, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and all things seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not created; of One Essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became Man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; suffered and was buried; and on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures; ascended to the heavens; He sits at the right hand of His Father; and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.

Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshiped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets. And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, we confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.

Only the denominations that accept and believe in the Coptic Church’s statement of faith are those who can be admitted and can reserve the retreat center facilities. Such denominations must comply and abide by the following:

Believe in the Trinity – One God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;

Believe in One God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible;

Believe in Jesus Christ, God’s One and Only Begotten Son:

•	Who was born Jesus of Nazareth, both fully human and fully divine, Who was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Holy Virgin Mary,
•	Who suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
•	Who died on the Cross for our sins and was buried, and Who rose from the dead on the third day,
•	Who ascended into the Heavens and now sits at the right hand of His Father, and
•	Who will return again to earth to judge both the living and the dead

Believe in the Holy Spirit, Who is the third Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity of the Trinity and;

Believe in the Bible – God’s Holy Word, scripture; teaches that man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ, but he is restored and saved through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.