Our Clergy
Listening to the call of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Grace Bishop Youssef entered the monastic life in 1986 at the El-Souryan Monastery. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1988. Then in 1989, he came to the United States under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of the Holy See of St. Mark. He was appointed resident priest to serve the Coptic congregation of St. Mary Church in Dallas/Fort Worth.
In 1992, His Grace was ordained as General Bishop and in 1993, His Grace was appointed to oversee the Southern Coptic Diocese. In 1995, His Grace was enthroned as the first Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States.
You may reach the Office of H.G. Bishop Youssef by telephone at 817-841-9353, by fax at 817-704-2389, or by e-mail at office@suscopts.org.
His Grace Bishop Basil joined the monastic life in January of 2008. He was ordained a monk in April of 2009 and joined the priesthood in 2011. In 2017 he was appointed by His Grace Bishop Youssef to serve the Florida region of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Soon thereafter, His Grace Bishop Basil was elevated to the rank of hegumen in February of 2018. In October of 2018, he was enthroned as Bishop Basil to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Youssef.
Fr. Suriel Costandi is the priest at St. Luke American Coptic Orthodox Church. On July 23, 2017, His Grace (“H.G.”) Bishop Youssef ordained Fr. Suriel as priest, with the presence of His Eminence (“H.E.”) Metropolitan Serapion and H.G. Bishop Peter. Fr. Suriel has served within the Diocese of the Southern United States since his ordination.
To learn more about Coptic Orthodoxy more generally, Fr. Suriel Costandi may be contacted by email at frsuriel@stlukefl.org.