 | The Beginning of the Coptic Church in Brisbane |
The first Coptic liturgy celebrated in Brisbane was by Fr Mina Mikhael in June 1976, whilst attending an executive meeting of the Australian Council of Churches. Between 1984 and 1989, monthly liturgies were celebrated in Brisbane by Fr Mina Diskoros. Until the purchase of the current church in 1987, liturgies were celebrated in the Anglican Chapel at the University of Queensland. In March 1989, Fr Moussa Soliman requested from Pope Shenouda III to serve the Copts of Brisbane who were delighted upon receiving the Apostolic blessing and consent to have a apermanent priest. On the 27 of November, 1989, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III accompanied by eight Bishops, visited Brisbane and consecrated the church. In 2004, Fr Moussa Soliman moved to Sydney to serve Anba Abraam and Father Mikhail El-Behery's Coptic Orthodox Church in Sydney. On the 30th of May 2004, Fr David Mahrous was ordained by His Holiness to serve the altar of St Mary and St Joseph in Brisbane and commenced his service in the church on the 20th of August 2004. |  |
Top  | | The Establishment of the Virgin Mary Church |
The church congregation grew steadily until the need arose for a larger area to accommodate the various needs and the expansion of the congregation. In 1997, the church purchased a 2.5 acre block of land in Calamvale, and was the first step in the establishment of the Virgin Mary Church. Through God's grace and the help of the congregation, the first liturgy was prayed on Sunday 21st of August 2005 in the hall building that was built on the land. God willing, in the near future, we will be building a Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (i.e. featuring Coptic architecture) and other facilities for the entire congregation to enjoy and benefit from. Through the grace of God, please pray for us as we start building the Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. |
Top | Our Patron Saint: The Virgin Saint Mary |
 The most loved and famous mother in all history and for all eternity is the Virgin Saint Mary, the Theotokos, the Mother of God. St Mary was the sacred vessel whom the Lord has chosen to be born from. H.H. Pope Shenouda III describes our Virgin Saint Mary as “…the mother of all of us, the lady of all of us, the pride of our kind, the queen at the right side of the King...the Saint Mary, the powerful and helpful compassionate mother, the Mother of the Light, the true vine”.
The Virgin lived in the jubilation of the Lord as she said in her hymn: “…my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:47). She did not grumble once in all that she suffered. When Herod menaced to kill her Son, in the flight to Egypt, and in the persecutions from the Jews, she did not say such things as where is the announcement that He will sit to reign on the throne of his father David....and there will be no end to His Kingdom (Luke 1: 32-33). But rather, she was full of patience, and as Elizabeth said about her, “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45).
She believed that she will give birth while remaining a virgin and that was realised for her. She believed that the “Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35), despite giving birth in a manger and having to use animal’s feeding trough for her newborn baby’s bed. What she believed in, was realised for her, by way of the visions and the angels whom she saw, and the miracles which were accomplished by Him. She believed in all that, despite the persecutions to which He was exposed to. She believed while He was led to Golgotha and on the cross, then she saw Him after His resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28). Mary was a woman of great strength and fortitude. Having been given no choices to major events surrounding her, she continues until today to shine forth luminously and as H.H Pope Shenouda states, “There is not a human being whom Christians have loved so much as our Lady the Virgin Mary” (H.H Pope Shenouda; 1999). With her character and strength, she overcame many emotional peaks and valleys and put her trust in the Lord. An enduring example of obedient faith, she said, "I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:35, 38). The majesty of the Virgin is evident in the choice of her by the Lord, from among all the women of the world, she is the only human being for whom the Lord God waited thousands of years for, until He found her, and judged that she deserved that immense honour which the angel Gabriel explained saying: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). For that reason, the divine Intuition was said about her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all” (Proverbs 31:29). It is probably from this divine text, that the song of the Church was taken: "Many women have obtained honours, but no one of them obtained like you" (St Basil Liturgy).
As H.G Bishop Youssef states, “With such ancestry as this, did St. Mary ever asked the Lord why all these things must happen to her? Why was she not given choices related to her life?” (H.G Bishop Youssef; 2005). St. Mary used her free will to submit to all the major events within her life. Through submission, a harmonious disposition was obtained. St. Mary was a "pure" virgin. Pure meant that she loved good works, did not want to be seen by men, only by God. The Holy Bible displays her speech as calm and steadfast in virtue. Her faith and devotion brought forth obedience to the Lord, respect from others, and a desire to live for the glory of His Name. Top | Other Coptic Orthodox Churches in Queensland |
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Virgin Mary Church