FR. PISHOY SALAMA
Fr. Pishoy was born in Giza, Egypt in 1970. In 1984, he immigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada, where he completed his high school education. He graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Math and Statistics in 1993. He served at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Toronto as a youth counsellor and was ordained as a priest at the same parish on November 14, 1999.
On November 14, 2007, Fr. Pishoy was appointed by H.H. Pope Shenouda III to establish St. Maurice & St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church, the first multicultural Coptic Orthodox Church in North America.
Fr. Pishoy graduated from Tyndale Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in Youth and Family Ministry in 2006. That same year, he began his Doctor of Ministry degree at the University of Toronto, from which he graduated in 2012, completing his dissertation: “Of All Nations: Exploring Intercultural Marriages in the Coptic Orthodox Church of the GTA.” In 2013, Fr. Pishoy was appointed as a sessional instructor at the University of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, where he taught Liturgy I & II in the Orthodox School of Theology.
Fr. Pishoy led a major construction project to build a church and a cultural centre in Markham, Ontario. The building includes a large sanctuary, banquet hall, gymnasium, childcare centre, fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms, recording studio, and underground parking. The building was inaugurated in 2016 and became a landmark in the city of Markham. In 2019, the church and cultural centre were recognized by Hon. Michael Tibollo, Minister of Tourism, H.W. Mayor Frank Scarpitti, and Hon. Bob Saroya, MP as a tourist attraction in the Province of Ontario. A major highway sign was placed on Hwy 404, directing tourists to the church and cultural centre. In addition, the church was listed on the Destination Ontario website as a destination to be visited in Markham-Unionville: https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/regions/york-durham-and-headwaters/markham-unionville
In the fall semester of 2019, Fr. Pishoy completed a study sabbatical at Harvard Divinity School (HDS) as a Resident Fellow. His main areas of concentration were Religion, Gender, and Culture. An article published in the HDS newsletter captured Fr. Pishoy’s experiences during his fellowship: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/using-hds-experience-inspire-others.
In 2023, Fr. Pishoy completed his PhD in Divinity from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in the departments of Practical Theology and Theological Ethics. This research-based degree helped further his knowledge and allowed him to present academic work on some of the contemporary conversations in the fields of pastoral care and ethics. He was appointed as a sessional instructor at Tyndale University in 2024 to teach “Introduction to Orthodoxy.”
Fr. Pishoy received several awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee award in 2022, and HM King Charles III Coronation award in 2023. These awards are offered to “honour outstanding citizens for their dedicated service to peers, community and province.”
Currently, Fr. Pishoy is leading the design and construction of an affordable housing project in Newmarket, Ontario, which will include the building of over 200 rental units to support individuals and families of low income, seniors, and persons with special needs.
Fr. Pishoy is married to Sandra and has three children: Mary (Ted), David (Alexa), and Andrew. His hobbies include reading and sports, particularly basketball and soccer.