DAWSONVILLE—The former Southern Catholic College in Dawsonville was purchased by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, according to news reports.

The November purchase was first reported in the Dawson News.

The campus included an 85,000-square-foot conference center, a small church, dormitories and a fellowship hall.

According to the news report, the campus will become the St. Mary and St. Demiana Coptic Convent. It will provide women a place for “quiet time and spiritual reflection with our Lord,” spokeswoman Sandy Naguib told the Dawson News.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is native to Egypt, which was introduced to Christianity by St. Mark, the Gospel writer. It separated from the Catholic Church in the fifth century.

In 1973, a declaration for improving ties between the churches was signed. Pope Francis in 2013 visited with the Coptic Orthodox leader Pope Tawadros II at the Vatican.

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States is comprised of 37 churches, including ones in Roswell and Suwanee.