On the first weekend of spring break, I went to my last convention ever. A big part of being Coptic Orthodox was the conventions we would have in Titusville, and my organization, OCCM, would have an annual spring weekend on the first weekend of spring break. It was basically a huge reunion of all the Florida chapters, where all of us would gather, sing praises and hymns, listen to priests give sermons, and it was just a generally healing weekend for all of us.
This specific one hit me differently, though. The theme was “Return to Your First Love”, and I thought: my first love was always my faith. College had allowed me to return to that, and OCCM allowed me to return to that. Since it is Holy Week for me, and Orthodox Easter is right around the corner, I thought I would talk about how I have stayed rooted in my faith in college.
So first, many of you may not know what the Coptic Orthodox faith is, so let me give a quick breakdown. It is the oldest denomination of Christianity in the world, coming from Egypt and spreading through the apostles, beginning with St. Mark. We are called Orthodox because we have kept our traditions from the times of the apostles. Although, of course, generations change over time, our church has stayed rooted in its history and customs since it was first founded.
The Tampa Bay area actually has a massive community that I am so proud to be a part of, and that is how I found Orthodox Campus Christian Ministries in my freshman year, which is the Coptic organization at USF.Â
My relationship with my faith, admittedly, has been a journey for me. Especially in middle school, I really did not like being Coptic Orthodox, especially with some experiences that I had in the church. High school got even more complicated, as I was trying to figure myself out and become firm in what I believe in while also making absolutely sure that my faith was priority number one.
I still wouldn’t say that I was fully confident in my faith, and even though I went to church, read my Bible, and prayed consistently, I still felt like there was that cross-shaped hole in my spirit that I wasn’t quite filling to the best of my ability. Serving with the youth began to fill that hole, and I absolutely love those children with all my being.
College was when it began to change. I had heard about OCCM through many of the people at my church, and it took me a bit to feel like I belonged in the organization. Once I found my footing, however, it became like my family. This was when I went to my first of the conventions, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I became more involved, met some of my best friends, and I found myself being more attached to my faith and God than I had ever been before. With that being said, my faith got me through college.
I felt like I could turn to Jesus or to so many of my friends, and I felt immediately comforted. I felt so much more proud and happy to tell people about the faith and what we were all about. I have met and talked to so many people, and I have watched so many beautiful people join the church in recent years, and it makes me feel so fulfilled. Without being Coptic Orthodox, not only would I be nowhere near as far in college as I am now, but I truly would not be the person I am today. Now that I am graduating college in a month, I see all the friends I have made and the church family I have gotten even closer to, and I feel so beyond blessed.