St. Mary and St. John the Baptist Coptic Orthodox Church

09/07/2026

09/04/2026

✝️ Congratulations to our beloved
Fr. Youhanna Youssef! ✝️🎓

With great joy, we congratulate our beloved Fr. Youhanna Youssef on earning his Master of Theological Studies from AHOS, PA, Class of 2026.

May the Lord bless his ministry and grant him wisdom, strength, and many fruitful years of service for the glory of His Holy Name. 🙏❤️

08/30/2026

Welcome, UVA & JMU students!

It was so wonderful to see you all at the liturgy today! Having our church filled with young people was truly refreshing and encouraging. We are so happy to have you with us and hope you always feel at home in our church family.

May God bless you, guide you, and strengthen you throughout your time at UVA & JMU

08/30/2026

The Departure of St. Takla Haymanot the Ethiopian

24 Misra, 1742 – August 30, 2026

On this day, we commemorate the departure of the blessed St. Takla Haymanot the Ethiopian, a great hermit and man of God.

He was born to righteous and wealthy parents, Tsega Ze-Ab and Sarah, who loved God, honored the Archangel Michael, and generously helped the poor, churches, and monasteries. They prayed faithfully for a child, and an angel of the Lord eventually announced that they would have a son.

From his early childhood, God revealed His presence through him. During a time of famine, when his mother was unable to prepare for the feast of Archangel Michael, the young Takla Haymanot miraculously multiplied a small amount of flour into twelve baskets and filled empty containers with oil. His parents glorified God, celebrated the feast, and fed the poor and their neighbors.

God blessed St. Takla Haymanot with many miracles throughout his life. After completing his good struggle and serving God faithfully, he departed in peace.

May his holy prayers be with us all. Amen.

08/28/2026

Commemoration of the departure of
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
May the prayers blessings of St Monica be with us

08/28/2026

Departure of Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine was born in North Africa in 354. His mother, Saint Monica, prayed for many years for his conversion. As a young man, Augustine lived a worldly life and followed false teachings, but he continued searching for truth.

In Milan, he heard Saint Ambrose preach and began to understand Christianity. One day, while struggling with his sins, he heard a child say, “Take up and read.” He opened the Bible and read Saint Paul’s words, which led him to repent and change his life. He was baptized in 387.

Augustine later became a priest and Bishop of Hippo. He preached, served the poor, defended the faith, and wrote important works such as Confessions and The City of God