While Friday marked Christmas for the community, services at the Coptic Church of Archangel Michael and Saint Mina on Staten Island were once again marked by heavy police presence.

Police heightened security at the house of worship in the wake of the New Year's Day bombing of a Coptic Christian church in Egypt.

"It's scary, to be honest with you. A little bit. Some people said 'Should we come? Shouldn't we come?' Then we decided that we're not going to let these people ruin our lives," said one observer.

"They threaten the Coptics in Egypt and outside Egypt. And they put names of the Churches they are targeting," said another.

The New Year's Day terror attack in Alexandria, Egypt, killed 23 people.