St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church
About St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church
This is the official site of St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church, Rhodes, Sydney, Australia. To communicate church's activities and events.
St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church Description
St Mary & St Merkorious Coptic Orthodox Church was established in 1987, renting out an Anglican Church Building in Burwood. Masses were prayed only on Saturday mornings, and Sunday School took place that evening with one servant and seven children ranging from the ages of 3 to 14. A fund raising cruise in 1989 saw a vote being taken and the Patron Saints, Mary & Philopateer Merkorious Abu Sefein being chosen.
From January 1988 to June the same year, the church was located in the Uniting Church building in Concord West. It wasn't until later that year that the church bought a small old Uniting Church in Rhodes which had the potential of growing into surrounding areas to be home for our steadily growing Coptic Community.
HH Late Pope Shenouda sent Fr Bishoy Yassa, who arrived on the 9th September 1989 to serve as the parish priest. It was the continual growth of the church under Fr Bishoy's guidance that led to the requirement of a second priest, Fr Youhanna Bestawros, who was ordained in 1993. Both their super human efforts and their growing services led to a cry for a priest dedicated to the services of the church's youth. In 2002, HG Bishop Daniel was guided by the Holy Spirit to relocate Fr Mikhail Mikhail's service to our humble church. His dynamic and loving service bore incredible fruit, and continues to, even after his relocation away from our parish in 2008. However, on the 28th of October 2008, Fr Sharobim Sharobim arrived at our parish with his kind and cheerful personality. He is very active in the service for the youth, creating many opportunities for them to excel in a variety of fields such as sport, church hymns and utilising their personal talents in the arts to benefit the church. The Lord added further blessings on our parish by bringing us Fr Zosima el Antony on Lazarus Saturday the 7th of April 2012. He arrived at our parish bringing with him the pearls of our church traditions from St. Anthony's monastery in Egypt. His service was remarkable here in Sydney and his reputation extended beyond Australia. He was ordained by HH Pope Tawadros II on the 10th of March 2013 to be the Bishop of Atfeeh. It wasn't long until Fr Yacoub Awad from Egypt arrived to our parish in July 2013. He has always been a living example of humility and love. The Lord continues to add further blessings on our parish by the ordination of Fr Alexander Aziz who was one of our very own youth on the 17th of January 2015 as a general priest. Fr Alexander finished the 40 days at the monastery and was appointed by HG Bishop Daniel to serve at our parish, so he arrived on 27 February 2015 brining with him his loving and energetic personality and strong knowledge of our Orthodox theology.
Today, the church has developed into one of the largest Coptic Orthodox communities in the Sydney Diocese. We pray that the church will continue to build the Kingdom of God on earth and will prolong its services for many years.
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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me, To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me [a]to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” A blessed and prosperous feast to all our beloved congregation. There will not be any afternoon Liturgies, from now till after the feast of the Cross, for the church lives in... joyful celebration, till the conclusion of the feast of the Cross.
"لِكَيْ نُحْضِرَ كُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ كَامِلاً فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ." عيد نيروز مبارك، وسنة قبطية جديدة مرضية ومقبولة لدي رب المجد، نطلب فيها من الرب يسوع أن يديمنا في حياة الفرح والتجديد، وان يعطينا سنة مليئة بالثمر الروحي، ستتوقف في الفترة الحالية كل القداسات المتأخرة أيام الأربعاء والجمعة، لان الكنيسة تحيا في أيام فرح الي بعد عيد الصليب المجيد. كل عام وحضراتكم في ملئ الفرح والسلام.
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To learn whether any particular actions of ours is contrary to God's will we must ask ourselves two questions: 1) Is the action I am planning to take contrary to belief in Christ or not? 2) Is it contrary to the Lord's commandments?
Vesper of Nayroz feast will be held on Mon 10 October @ 7 - 10 pm
“One must guard against complaining, as though it were a poisonous snake.”
Wishing our beloved fathers, a very happy and blessed Father’s Day , praying the Lord bless them who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of service, may our Lord strengthen, and support them. And happy Father’s Day to all fathers.
One year ago on this day, HH Pope Tawadrous II, with the blessed Bishops and Fathers, blessed our parish, with a visit, May God keep for us His Life, for many years and peaceful times. في هذا الْيَوْمَ منذ عام مضي ، باركنا بزيارة رعوية حضرة صاحب الغبطة والقداسة البابا المعظم الانبا تواضروس الثاني ، مصحوبا بأبائنا الأساقفة والكهنة، الله يحفظ لنا حياته ويديمه لنا لسنين عدة وأزمنة سلمية مديدة.
St. John of the Ladder writes... The firmament has the stars for its beauty, and dispassion has the virtues for its adornments; for by dispassion I mean no other than the interior heaven of the mind, which regards the tricks of the demons as mere toys.
"هوذا ما أحسن وما أحلي أن يجتمع الأخوة معا" عنوان أمسية شهر أغسطس حيث اجتمعت الكنيسة معا مساء الْيَوْمَ لتحتفل بعيد ظهور إصعاد جسد القديسة العذراء مريم والدة الاله للسماء، والاحتفال بجميع من يقع عيد ميلاده في شهر أغسطس، كانت أمسية مفرحة ومبهجة اشترك فيها كثير من شعب وخدام الكنيسة مع الآباء الاحباء كهنة الكنيسة ، نشكر كل من ساهم وتعب في إعداد هذه الامسية وكل عام وحضراتكم في ملئ النعمة والفرح.
In sorrows borne with gladness and with thanks to the Lord, who saves us through suffering, there is hidden a spiritual joy, the joy of rising from strength to strength in our spiritual life.
Hello all,
Starting from this Saturday 25/8/2018 Vespers will start at 6pm and it will be in English followed by our new English reading group, named after the great ascetic, Abba Poemen of Egypt. Tasbeha will follow the meeting and will also be predominantly in English concluding around 10:30pm.
Hope to see you there as we aim to dedicate our Saturday nights to preparing ourselves to receive the the Holy Mysteries the following day.
بارك كنيستنا الْيَوْمَ، للاحتفال بعشية عيد التجلي المبارك، نيافة الحبر الجليل الانبا دانييل أسقفنا المحبوب، وقد شاركت كورالات الكنيسة نيافته الاحتفال بتقديم باقة من التراتيل، وتكلم نيافته عن شخص رب المجد يسوع الاله الحقيقي، كانت ليلة مبهجة ومملؤة بركة، كل عام وحضراتكم بكل الخير وفِي ملئ النعمة.
Our English Revival for the Fast of the Virgin begins tonight at 7:30 PM and then every night till Tuesday night at the same time.
A blessed Fast to all!
We grow cold within when our heart is distracted, when it cleaves to something other than God, worrying about different things, getting angry and blaming someone, –when we are discontented and pander to the flesh, wallowing in luxury and wandering thoughts. Guard against these things, and the coldness will diminish.
It is a wonderful thing that, no matter how much we trouble about our health, however much care we take of ourselves, whatever wholesome and pleasant food we eat, whatever wholesome drinks we drink, however much we walk in the fresh air, still, notwithstanding all this, in the end we are subjected to maladies and corruption; whilst the saints, who despised their flesh, and mortified it by continual abstinence and fasting, by lying bare on the earth, by watchfulness, labours, unceasing prayer, have made both their souls and bodies immortal.
We are the spiritually poor, whilst the saints, or those who shine even in this present life by their faith and piety, are the spiritually rich. It is to them that we needy ones must have recourse. We must beg for their prayers that they may help us to become simple as infants; that they may teach us spiritual wisdom, how to conquer sins, how to love God and our neighbour.
Enough to know father Beshoy is there to bless us.
Enough to know father Beshoy is there to bless us.
Enough to know father Beshoy is there to bless us.
Enough to know father Beshoy is there to bless us.
Enough to know father Beshoy is there to bless us.