[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                WELCOMING REVEREND FATHER MINA D. ESSAK

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Trott) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TROTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions 
of Father Mina and the Coptic community he represents in southeast 
Michigan. Egypt's Coptic Christians have been a staple in my district 
since they held their first liturgy at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church 
in Troy almost 40 years.
  Father Mina is an engineer by trade, but in 1991, he accepted God's 
calling and became a priest to serve the then-small congregation of 
Coptic Christians in southeast Michigan. Under the leadership of Father 
Mina, the Coptic community has grown from a handful of families to over 
750 today.
  The Copts are my neighbors and friends. They are our nurses, 
schoolteachers, public servants, and business leaders. The Copts 
represent what America represents. Their story is America's story: the 
story of people who dreamed of a better life, the story of people who 
left everything they had ever known to come to this country for a new 
beginning.
  I am proud to represent this vibrant and welcoming community, and, 
under the leadership of Father Mina and Father Maximus, the Copts will 
continue to serve an important role in southeast Michigan for a long 
time.
  I want to thank, again, Father Maximus and Father Mina for leading 
the House in prayer today.

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