Father John Bishara

Fr. John Bishara, previously Maher Bishara, was born in Cairo Egypt and came to the United States in 1980. He came with his parents and younger brother and has been living in North Jersey since.

He was ordained a reader and began his service at St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church in Jersey City in 1989. He has served under the guidance of the departed Fr. Antonious Ragheb, Fr. David Bebawy, the departed Fr. Sorial Sorial, Fr. Makrious Sawirous, Fr. Antony Bassily, and Fr. Thomas Nashed. As a youth, he learned to read the Coptic language and Coptic hymns through attendance of hymn classes by Fr. David Bebawy. He conducts the Sunday School festivities at Christmas and Easter for the high school youth.

Maher has served the Sunday School youth from grades one through high school as well as the weekly youth meetings. He enjoys interacting with the youth and providing guidance on a variety of teenage and adolescent issues.

He completed his Bachelors degree in Biology at Rutgers University in 1993. Maher was married to Christine Farah in August 1998 and they have three children.

Maher had served the youth in St. Anthony Church since 2009 and had been engaged in youth meetings and retreat.

On April 25th, 2010 Maher was nominated to become a priest to serve the congregation of St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church in Medford, NJ. With the blessings and prayers of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, His Grace Bishop David supervised the nomination voting process. The outcome of the congregation votes was almost unanimous to nominate Maher as a priest.

On Sunday May 23rd 2010 at St. Mark Cathedral – Cairo – Egypt, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III ordained Maher a priest. His Holiness named him John and he became Fr. John Bishara.
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May God bless Father John and his service to our church