As a sort of welcome to the new church, the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of Sacred Heart will make a pilgrimage through downtown Charleston on Sunday to the site of the new St. Mary and Archangel Gabriel Coptic Orthodox Church at Beauregard and Washington streets.
The Coptic church has been using Sacred Heart's chapel for worship but purchased the old Kanawha Players building over the summer for $118,154.85.
"It's beautiful," Monsignor Edward Sadie said of the East End building. "It's a beautiful facility. Huge."
The Copts were able to use carpeting, cabinets, chandeliers and other items from the Riverview Terrace apartments, which the Catholic church owns and has been converting to condos, Sadie said. Groups associated with the Catholic church - including the Serra Club, Boy Scouts, Knights of Columbus and some Sacred Heart High School students have also helped with the work, Sadie said.
The Copts' building is not completely renovated, but they decided to go ahead with the pilgrimage and reception as church officials had planned.
"I think it's great we have a new orthodox church in Charleston - the Coptic group out of Egypt," he said.
Sadie said the Coptic Church of Egypt goes back to the time of St. Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark. It's reportedly the largest Christan denomination in the Middle East.
In February, the Islamic State kidnapped and beheaded 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya.
"They died with the word Jesus on their lips," Sadie said, and called them martyrs.
The Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has given the Coptic church a statue of the Virgin Mary, Sadie said, and Sacred Heart is lending the new church an 8-foot cross for the Holy Year of Mercy in 2016. The cross will be carried along in the pilgrimage Sunday.
After the pilgrimage, members of the Coptic church are preparing a meal for the participants, which will be served at the church.
"They're anxious that people understand first that they are Christian," he said.
There's a certain amount of phobia of those of Middle Eastern descent, especially in West Virginia, he said.
"I'm anxious that they be accepted and acknowledged as Christians," Sadie said. "In fact their Christianity goes back to the first century."
The pilgrimage will start at Sacred Heart at 1:45 p.m. and process east on Quarrier Street to Beauregard Street. Those who can't walk in the procession are invited to join others at the church at 2:30 p.m. for a meal and reception.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LorikerseyWV on Twitter.