"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20

About

COSA is a university student group that meets at the University of Alberta campus. All Coptic university and college students from any campuses in Edmonton are welcome to participate :).

By the grace of God, The Coptic Orthodox Student Association (COSA), was founded in 2003 at the University of Alberta, by Pierre Farage (of blessed memory, 1981-2021). Since the Arabic meaning of the acronym, COSA, had a few different connotations :), some members of the original group chose to call it COYA (Coptic Orthodox Youth Association). Pierre wished to bring Coptic university students on campus together, to encourage each other to pray, to build community, fellowship and support for one another, by uniting in Christ. He simply started with inviting the Church youth who were at the U of A to pray the Vesper prayers every weekday at 5 pm in a classroom, during the entire semester (including exam times)! This certainly was not a popular idea and many youth gave the reason of being too busy to take the time to meet for prayer. However, Pierre persisted and prayed Vespers by himself in that classroom daily at 5 pm for many months, while still inviting the youth to come. He would often say “If you give God just that 15 minutes of your time, in prayer, especially praying together as one body in Christ, He will bless the rest of your time studying.” And boy, was he right!!! The group started with only Pierre praying alone, and then grew to become a group of more than 25 people, who looked forward to 5 pm every day because of the experienced blessing of praying together and fellowship. Though 20 years have passed, many members from that time have very fond memories of COYA (COSA) and the bond that grew between them because of Pierre’s simple yet powerful initiative has remained strong. The group was active on and off throughout the years, but had been inactive for some time.

Pierre Farage, Founder of COSA,2003

In 2022, by God’s grace, and Pierre’s intercessions, COSA was resurrected again by Karen Attia and a group of fiery university youth and alumni. This time, they intentionally wanted to call it COSA :). This group is a testament to God’s power in blessing the little we can offer, as Pierre’s offering of persistence in daily prayer, just as Christ blessed the 5 loaves and 2 fish in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand.

 

Mission & Vision

To build a Coptic Orthodox Christian community at the University of Alberta, to unite in fellowship, and to support one another in our walk with Christ, as one Body.

• Fellowship: regular meetings such as prayer meetings, fun events, Vespers, Bible Study, Small Group, fun events
• On-Campus access to Church Services such as Liturgies, confession, and spiritual guidance
• Support: study groups, career support, mentorship
• Networking: with other students, graduates, alumni and staff

 

Meetings & Events

Weekly meetings on Thursday evenings from 5-8 PM at the University of Alberta. Meetings include:

• Fellowship gathering (food and refreshments)
• Spiritual topic with guest speakers
• Games and Activities
• Community service such as volunteering together at soup kitchens (usually once/month)

Events such as a welcome back BBQ, Career Fair, Retreats, Mission Trips (God willing!, in the works, by God’s grace)

 

Patron Saints

• St. Pope Kyrillos (Patron saint of students, among many other things)
• St. Athansius (Defender of the Faith)
• St. Katherine (Scholar)
• St. Verena (Missionary)

 

We Need Your Help

1. Prayers: praying for the Lord’s presence and guidance in uniting this group and bringing His Holy presence to campus.
2. Spread the word: If you know any Coptic Christian college/university students, please let them know about COSA 
3. Meals: Preparing meals, buying food, transporting food to the U of A on Thursday evenings
4. Donations: (any little helps!) used to fund the Thursday night fellowship meals 
5. Mentorship: Annual Career fair: whether you’re a new grad or seasoned professional, we would love for you to share your experiences and advice to high school, university, graduate, and international students.
   Supporting and encouraging students/new grads who are in your field, one-on-one or in groups.
6. Support: Support COSA fundraising efforts or providing suggestions 

 

Contact

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Instagram: ualbertacosa