General Information About Us & Our Church

We are a small group of Coptic families whose majority comes from cities to the north and
south of Altoona, PA.  Since the nearest church in any direction is over two hours drive,
then Fr. Shenouda Elbaramousy of MD, now His Eminence Bishop Michael, helped us
organize and establish a Coptic Orthodox church in the region. We also invited Fr.
Guirguis A. Gobrial of MD  to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on a regular basis on
Saturdays, to fulfill our spiritual needs.

At first, the Liturgy used to be conducted at a local Antiochian Orthodox church which we
rented twice a month.  On March 10th, 2007, we  permanently moved to our current
church building.

As of August 23rd, 2009, Fr. Barsoum Eshak of Alexandria, Egypt has been praying with
us every Sunday.
About Us
General Information About
Altoona (awl-TOO-nah)












Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the principal city of the Altoona,
PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 49,523 at the 2000 census. The community is
in the Eastern Standard time zone.  The latitude of Altoona is 40.518N. The longitude is -78.395W.  
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.3 km² (9.8 mi²), all land.
 In 2000, Altoona became sister cities with St. Pölten, Austria.

It is 80 mi East of Pittsburgh, on the East slopes of the Allegheny Mountains.  The community is
believed named after Altoona, German river port. Other theories suggest that the name derives from
Latin for "elevated," or from a Cherokee name.

It began as a switching point for the Pennsylvania Railroad near the source of the Juniata R; 40°30'N
78°24'W.  It was a Railroad center with construction and repair shops; it is also known for
manufacturing fabricated metal products, food, machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals, printing
and publishing.

Altoona Blair Co. Airport is 14 mi to the SE.

Altoona is a major center on the Norfolk Southern Railroad's Pittsburgh Line. In Altoona, helper
engines are added to heavy trains to give them extra power up and over the Horseshoe Curve west
of town.  It is famous for the Horseshoe Curve of the Pa. Railroad, an engineering feat (1854) which
made Railroad route through Allegheny Mountains possible. The Juniata Heavy Repair Shop
Complex, originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, is the primary repair and maintenance facility
on the Norfolk Southern. On an average day, 60 to 80 trains pass though Altoona. The historical
importance to the railroad industry and the current high level of railroad activity has made Altoona a
mecca for rail fans for over 60 years. The Railroaders Memorial Museum and the Horseshoe Curve
are popular spots for rail fans to take photos of passing trains.  In addition to the many freight trains,
Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train stops at Altoona station once daily in each direction, and also makes
use of the Horseshoe Curve.  Local bus service in the city is provided by AMTRAN.

The town is home to the Altoona Curve baseball team of the Double A Eastern League, which is the
Double A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It also houses the 75+ year-old Altoona Symphony
Orchestra, under the direction of Nicholas Palmer. Altoona is served by a career fire department of
65 personnel, the largest career department between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA.

Altoona is also home to Penn State University, Ivyside Park campus, (Altoona campus: 2-year &
4-year).  This is the second largest Penn State Commonwealth Campuses. The college has
approximately 3800 Students as of the 2006-07 school year.  The city of Altoona has an education
system that contains two high schools, one parochial, one public. Bishop Guilfoyle High School is the
private parochial school having grades 9-12, located at 2400 Pleasant Valley. Blvd., Altoona, PA.
Altoona Area High School houses grades 10-12, and is located at 711 7th St., Altoona, PA.  As for
the greater Altoona area, there are several other notable high schools, including Hollidaysburg Area
Senior High School located at 1510 North Montgomery Street, Hollidaysburg, PA.

Some of its major attractions are the Baker Mansion Museum; Allegheny Ballet Company; Oak
Spring Winery to N; Fort Robideau National Historical Landmark (1778) to NE; Canoe Creek State
Park to E; Prince Gallitzin State Park to NW;The Wopsononock Mountain (2,580 ft/786 m) to NW;  
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historical Site to SW.
Easter 2009