St George Coptic Orthodox Church

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St George Coptic Orthodox Church

Official page for St George Coptic Orthodox Church, Kensington, Sydney, Australia. It was given the name St George Coptic Orthodox Church.

The growing Coptic community in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney petitioned Bishop Samuel for a church. On the 3rd of September 1972 A Methodist Church, in Kensington, was leased and later purchased by the Copts. It was in August 1973 that Bishop Samuel along with Fr Mina Nematalla and Fr Youhanna celebrated the first Liturgy in the church. An impressive two storey Sunday school building containing s

even classes and office and large hall was constructed in 1984. His Holiness Pope Shenouda later consecrated the Church on November 22nd 1989. Since then Parish Priest Father Marcos Khella transformed the interior of the church by contracting expert craftsmen from Egypt to design, hand carve and install an Iconostasis, 36 icons, 2 pulpits, a large dome on the alter, and a niche, all beautifully fashioned according to traditional Coptic design. This took place between 1991/1992 thus making St George Church a splendid monument of Coptic Art and Iconography. By 1993 The Lord had blessed the church with a growing congregation and a new priest, Father Rafael. In 2000 Major changes were made to the church building as another church was built upstairs for English services as well as new Sunday school rooms and youth area. In 2004 Father Matthew was ordained priest for youth ministry and began his service at St George Church. Due to the growth and demand for service at St George in 2013 Dr Raef Farag the Sunday school coordinator at St George was ordained as the Father Kyrillos the fourth serving Priest of St George

07/09/2026

Happy feast of Archangel Raphael - one of the seven Archangels

06/09/2026

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow night for our working youth meeting

05/09/2026

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him."
(Proverbs 20:7)

To Our Dear Fathers, Grandfathers, and Great Grandfathers,

Wishing you a blessed Happy Father's Day!

Today, we give thanks to God for the many sacrifices you make, the prayers you offer , and your commitment to passing down the faith and traditions of our Church.

Your leadership, grounded in wisdom, patience, and humility, is valued.

May the Lord abundantly bless you, preserve you and continue to strengthen you as the pillars of our families.

Happy Father's Day !!!!

St. George Church
6 September 2026

03/09/2026

Today we also celebrate The Feast of St Phoebe the first Deaconess and Disciple of St Paul (Romans 16:1-2)

02/09/2026

The Feast of the great fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob

In the midnight praises we pray: "Do not forget the covenant which you made with our fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob"

In the 9th hour of the Agpia pray we say: "For the sake of your beloved Abraham , your Servant Isaac and Jacob your saint"

28/08/2026

The Feast of St Augustine

He had A brilliant mind, but a restless heart.

Born in 354 AD in Thagaste, North Africa, Augustine possessed an extraordinary intellect. His mother, St Monica, was a devout Christian who prayed steadfastly for her son's spiritual journey.

However, St . Augustine did not initially embrace her faith.

He pursued worldly success, recognition, intellectual glory, and sensory pleasure, quickly rising to become a renowned teacher of rhetoric and philosophy. His struggle was never a lack of intelligence. Rather, it was a heart seeking fulfillment in all the wrong places.

This reflects one of humanity's greatest tragedies:

- A brilliant mind can coexist with a starving soul.

- Education does not guarantee inner peace.

- Wealth does not secure genuine joy.

- Constant company cannot cure deep loneliness.

- Accolades in the eyes of the world mean little when a person feels lost in eternity.

St. Augustine eventually captured his lifelong struggle in his famous reflection: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

The human heart was created for God, meaning no finite creation can truly satisfy a soul made for the Creator. People constantly seek fulfillment through money, relationships, career, entertainment, pleasure, achievement, status, or intellectual pride. Yet even after attaining them all, a quiet inner voice still echoes: "I want more."

The soul simply recognizes what it was designed for: total rest in God.

St Augustine's conversion was not simply an intellectual achievement. It was a surrender.

For years he had searched, read, studied, argued, and questioned. Yet despite all his seeking, his heart remained restless until God touched it.

While sitting in a garden, deeply distressed by his spiritual condition, St Augustine heard what sounded like a child's voice chanting: “Take up and read."

He opened the Scriptures and his eyes fell upon the words of St Paul:
"Let us walk properly, as in the day... Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts." (Romans 13:13–14)

In that moment, everything shifted. What human arguments could never accomplish, the Word of God did in an instant. The Bible became deeply personal as God's voice directly confronted the desires of his heart, and St. Augustine surrendered.

This reveals the true power of Scripture.

The Word of God offers far more than information; it brings complete transformation. We do not read the Bible simply to acquire knowledge, but so that Christ may change us.

There is no Book in the World that can Inform me Reform me and totally Transform me than the bible

- One verse can change a life.

- One sermon can awaken a sleeping soul.

- One confession can mark a new beginning.

- One encounter with Christ can change everything.

Thereafter, St Augustine was baptised by St Ambrose of Milan.

St Augustine’s Character: Humility After Greatness
After his conversion, Augustine could have easily pursued earthly fame. He was an intellectual giant, exceptionally gifted and articulate. Yet Christianity taught him a far greater virtue: humility.

Eventually ordained as a priest and later appointed Bishop of Hippo,

St Augustine redefined what it meant to hold authority. Instead of seeking status, he served. He taught, preached, defended the faith, cared for his flock, wrote extensively, and stood firm against theological error. He completely spent himself for Christ.

This reveals the heart of true Christian greatness.

The world asks: "How many people serve you?"

Christ asks: "How many people have you served?"

The world demands: "Become important."

Christ commands: "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:26)

The greatest individuals in the Kingdom of God are not necessarily those with the loudest voices or the grandest titles. They are the faithful servants:
- The mother serving her family
- The father protecting his home
- The priest serving his congregation
- The young person choosing purity
- The believer forgiving an enemy
- The Christian visiting the sick
- The faithful soul praying in secret

Heaven measures greatness by an entirely different standard to the world.

May the prayers of St Augustine be with us .

26/08/2026

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Monica, tomorrow we will celebrate the feast of her son, St Augustine.

St Monica’s life teaches us the enduring power of persistent prayer. Her son Augustine did not immediately walk in the way of Christ. He wandered, pursued worldly pleasures, and embraced teachings contrary to the Christian faith, making choices that brought his mother profound pain.

Yet Monica never gave up hope. She never believed her son was beyond saving, nor did she ever feel she had prayed enough. Instead, she brought her tears and pleas to God time and time again, trusting Him completely as she waited.

This reflects one of the greatest spiritual challenges we face today. We often pray once and expect an immediate answer. We pray for our children for a few weeks and become discouraged, or we pray for our marriage, family, service, and spiritual life, only to feel forgotten by God when change does not happen overnight.

St Monica reminds us that God's silence is not God's absence. Even when the soil looks unchanged and the seed remains buried, God is still at work beneath the surface.
What was St Monica’s victory?

Her greatest triumph was not Augustine’s temporal success, but his salvation.

When Augustine eventually encountered Christ, a profound transformation followed. The man who had wandered became a saint, the seeker became a defender of the faith, the sinner became a preacher of grace, and his restless heart finally found rest in God. The prayers of his mother were an essential part of that beautiful story.

St Monica did not spend her life praying for her son to build a successful career. She prayed for something infinitely greater: that he would belong to Christ.

This presents a powerful challenge for parents today. What are we truly asking for when we pray for our children? Are we only asking for success, good careers, wealth, respected status, or happy marriages? While these are not wrong things to pray for, St Monica teaches us to pray the deeper, ultimate prayer: “Lord, make my child Yours.”

After all, what does it profit a person to gain the whole world yet lose their soul?
- Give me a child who knows Christ.

- Give me a child who loves Christ.

- Give me a child who fears God.

- Give me a child who understands repentance.

- Give me a child who loves the Church.

- Give me a child whose life becomes an offering to God.

That is the greatest success a parent can ever witness.

May the prayers blessings of St Monica be with us

22/08/2026

The Feast of the Assumption of St Mary

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary, the Mother of God — a life of faith, humility, obedience, and complete trust in God.

St. Mary said “Yes” to His plan, carried the LOGOS — the Word of God — and brought His light into the world.

May St. Mary teach us to trust God’s plan, carry Christ within us, and let His light shine through our lives.

21/08/2026

Feast of St Habib Girgis

Today we celebrate the feast of the father and founder of Sunday School Archdeacon Habib Girgis

He loved Christ and the church

His profound love for his Coptic Church was not merely as an institution, but as the Body of Christ and the spiritual home of God's people.

His love was practical.

He saw weaknesses and worked to strengthen them.

He saw ignorance and responded with education.

He saw young people who needed guidance and invested in them.

He saw a Church facing challenges and gave his life to serving her.

This kind of love is desperately needed today.

It is easy to criticize the Church.

It is easy to identify problems.
It is much harder to become part of the solution.
Habib Girgis teaches us to move from criticism to service, from observation to participation, and
From words to deeds and actions of love and sacrifice
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.( 1 Corinthians 15:58)

18/08/2026

The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ

Today the Church brings us to Mount Tabor, where the Lord Jesus Christ revealed a fraction of the glory that was always His.

The disciples saw His face shining like the sun, His garments becoming white as the light, Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and the cloud overshadowing them. Then came the voice of the Father:
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"
(Matthew 17:5)

The Transfiguration is not merely a beautiful event from the life of Christ. It is a revelation of who Christ is, what He came to
accomplish, what our human nature can become by His grace, and where the Christian life is ultimately going.

The Fathers of the Church saw tremendous depth in this mystery.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, the great Father of our Alexandrian tradition, explains that Christ did not become something He had not been before.
Rather, He manifested His glory to the disciples. The human appearance remained, but divine glory shone through it.
St Ephraim the Syrian says

“Christ led them up to the mountain and showed them his Kingship before His passion and His power before His dearth and his glory before his disgrace and honour before His dishonour

so that when He was arrested and crucified by the Jews, they might know that He was not crucified through weakness but willingly by His good pleasure for the salvation of the world.”

Address

3A Bowral Street
Kensington, NSW
2033

Telephone

(02) 9663 1159

Website

http://www.saintgeorgechurch.org.au/

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