Saint Joseph latin Church — Local services in Cairo

It saddens me to write this review because I love the Catholic Church and all its members. However, I honestly believe this is a parish that everyone should definitely stay clear of. First, I was discriminated against because of my look. I guess I didn’t look foreign enough, and the priest flat out accused me of not being American. He was very rude to me, even when I offered to show him my US passport. Second, there are Catholic Churches in Egypt where you can bring your Muslim friends and feel welcomed, but this is NOT one of them. If you have any Muslim friends you want to bring, even for just touristic purposes, they will not be allowed in by the Christians there. Keep in mind that the Egyptian policeman outside the church has no problem with Muslims entering. The Muslim that was with me was not a threat to security AT ALL and was completely open to going through a full security check. However, the Christians at this parish absolutely do not want Muslims there. They blamed it on ‘state security,’ but in reality, Muslims are allowed to enter other Catholic parishes in Egypt. I assume that any tourists/foreigners coming to Egypt are coming because they love the Egyptian people, regardless of their religion. I recommend not supporting a parish which questions whether or not you look foreign enough, as well as blatantly discriminates against their Muslim brothers, making them stand out in the hot sun and not even allowing them to take shade in the doorway just outside the church entrance. Instead, I recommend choosing another parish in Cairo to go to for Sunday mass or...

We attended Easter Sunday Mass at St. Joseph Latin Church and were grateful to find a service celebrated in English. The church is beautiful, spacious, and has a welcoming atmosphere.

The parish priest, an Egyptian who speaks multiple languages, led the Mass in English, with some parts—like the Our Father—spoken in Spanish. He was warm and friendly, even inviting everyone to take a group photo by the altar after the service. We also had a nice opportunity to briefly chat with him.

One important note: there is security stationed at the gate, and it’s best to clearly inform them that you’re attending Mass. When we arrived, the guard initially thought we were tourists and didn’t let us in right away, but once we explained we were there for the Mass, he apologized and let us through. It seems they may restrict tourist entry around service times to maintain the sanctity of the worship.

This church is a must-visit for those looking to attend a Sunday Mass in English while in Cairo.

Mass Times/Schedule (translated from signage on the church door):

Sundays & Feast Days: 7:30 AM (French) 8:30 AM (Arabic) 10:00 AM (Italian) 12:00 PM (French) 4:30 PM (English) 6:30 PM (French)

Weekdays: 7:30 AM (French) 6:30 PM (French)

Church Hours: Open daily Morning: 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM Afternoon: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

If you want to make sure about the Mass times, feel free to contact their office at +20223936677. This is what we did few days prior to...

تقع كنيسة سان جوزيف بشارع بنك مصر القريب من شارع محمد فريد، وبنيت عام 1950 على يد مجموعة من المصممين الإيطاليين وهى تابعة للرهبان الفرنسيسكان بمصر، وقد اختاروا هذا المكان لأنهم رأوه مناسبا فى وسط القاهرة وحيوياً، والكنيسة ملحق بها دير للرهبان يخدمها نحو عشرين عاملاً. يقول كاهن الكنيسة القس فرنسيس، إنه بعد زلزال عام 1992 تأثر مبنى الكنيسة فتم ترميمها طوال أربعة أعوام، ومنذ عامين قمنا بإعادة طلاء واجهتها، ويضيف: فى البداية كان يتولى رعاية الكنيسة رهبان تابعين للأراضى المقدسة من الأجانب، جاء بعدهم رهبان مصريين رسمهم الأسقف، والزى الرسمى لونه بني وهو زى فرنسيسكاني اختاره القديس فرنسيس ليكون معبراً عن الإنسان البسيط. ويتابع أن الصلوات اليومية فى الكنيسة ىسبع صلوات إما جماعية أو فردية، وتحتفل الكنيسة بعيد القديس يوسف يوم 19 مارس من كل عام. وتتميز الكنيسة بلون حوائطها الأبيض وبالبساطة فى زخارفها، إلى جانب اتساع مساحتها وكثرة الأعمدة فى كل ركن فيها، إضافة إلى وجود نماذج مصغرة للقديسين، مثل القديس بولس والقديسة ريتا ووتمثال لمريم العذراء والقديس أنطونيوس والقديس جوزيف، إضافة إلى القديس فرنسيس مؤسس الفرنسسكانية. Saint Joseph Church is located on Banque Misr Street, close to Mohamed Farid Street. It was built in 1950 by a group of Italian designers. It belongs to the Franciscan monks in Egypt. They chose this place because they saw it as suitable and lively in the center of Cairo. The church is attached to a monastery for monks served by about twenty workers. The priest of the church, Reverend Francis, says that after the 1992 earthquake, the church building was affected, so it was restored for four years, and two years ago we repainted its facade. The official color is brown, and it is a Franciscan dress chosen by St. Francis to be an expression of the simple person. He continues that the daily prayers in the church are seven prayers, either collective or individual, and the church celebrates Saint Joseph's Day on March 19 of every year. The church is distinguished by its white walls and simplicity in its decoration, in addition to the vastness of its area and the large number of columns in every corner, in addition to the presence of miniature models of saints, such as Saint Paul and Saint Rita and a statue of the Virgin Mary, Saint Anthony and Saint Joseph, in addition to Saint Francis, the founder of...