His Grace Bishop Anba Peter, Bishop of North and South Carolina and of Kentucky, and the Papal Deputy for the state of Virginia, presided last Sunday, July 12, at St. Mark the Apostle Church in Fairfax, west of Washington, D.C., in Virginia, with the participation of the church’s priests. During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Anba Peter blessed the reception of 12 new members into the Coptic Church through the holy sacrament of baptism. After the service, His Grace celebrated the marriages of four of the newly received members, amid the congregation’s joy at both happy occasions.