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On several occasions I have had people ask me about our church with a curious question, “What denomination is the Cyprian Church?” or “Tell me about the Cypriot Church.” Obviously, they did not see the “Episcopal Church” designation in our title, and some assumed that the church was somehow related to the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Of course, I explained to them that St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church was part of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida and is related to the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. I also tell them that our patron … our namesake, Cyprian … was a third century bishop in Carthage, North Africa in what is now the country of Tunisia. Cyprian of Carthage … the man … was martyred in 258. He was killed by the Romans for not renouncing his Christian faith … the faith into which he was baptized. A number of traditionally Africa American Episcopal churches … as well as some African American Roman Catholic churches … are named after Cyprian because it is assumed that he was a person of color.
On several occasions I have had people ask me about our church with a curious question, “What denomination is the Cyprian Church?” or “Tell me about the Cypriot Church.” Obviously, they did not see the “Episcopal Church” designation in our title, and some assumed that the church was somehow related to the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Of course, I explained to them that St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church was part of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida and is related to the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. I also tell them that our patron … our namesake, Cyprian … was a third century bishop in Carthage, North Africa in what is now the country of Tunisia. Cyprian of Carthage … the man … was martyred in 258. He was killed by the Romans for not renouncing his Christian faith … the faith into which he was baptized. A number of traditionally Africa American Episcopal churches … as well as some African American Roman Catholic churches … are named after Cyprian because it is assumed that he was a person of color.
