Our Church
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It all began with the visit of Triple Blessedness His
Holiness Late Pope Shenouda III and a multitude of bishops to Australia in
1989. During their visit, they inspected a piece of land in the area of Hallam
of an approximate area of 46 acres. A project was proposed for the land consisting
of a Church, a Hostel and a Coptic Village. When His Holiness inspected the
land, he saw a shed in the midst of the land that was used for feeding cattle.
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III did the sign of the cross on that shed and said
“this manger will become a Church by the grace of the Lord.” During His
Holiness second visit to Melbourne in 1991, he announced that he would like to
ordain some youth for priesthood to serve in Australia. Thus His Holiness
selected one person from Melbourne to be nominated for priesthood, and that was
Fr. Abanoub, along with three others from Sydney. They all travelled to Egypt
on the 13th of February 1991. His Holiness received them in St. Bishoy
Monastery in his private residence. The ordination took place on the 28th of
March 1991 by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III accompanied by a multitude of
bishops who blessed the ordination.
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During the year 1992, His Holiness sent a message asking us
to establish a Church in the area of the Coptic Village. At the time, there was
no place where we could pray. So a hall was rented on James Cook Drive in
Endeavour Hills every Saturday night and Sunday till midday. We would set up
the hall as a Church: put up the chairs, the altar and the holy board. We
continued to pray there for around a period of 6 months. The purpose of that
was to gather the congregation and the people start feeling that there is a new
Church. We also selected the name of the Church to be in the names of the great
martyrs St. Mina and St. Marina. On Friday the 9th of April 1993, we prayed the
last mass in the rented hall. Then, on Sunday the 11th of April 1993, we moved
to the new location which was the temporary shed that His Holiness Pope
Shenouda III had blessed. We started to pray in the new Church and to work on
that new location.
His Holiness visited Melbourne again in 1993 and he laid the foundation stone of the large proposed Church on Saffron drive in Hallam; this took place in September 1993. During that time, the congregation was still growing. In addition to the people coming to Church quite regularly, newcomers were joining the Church all the time. In 1999, Fr. Isaac El Antony came to serve in Melbourne at St Mina and St Marina Church. He served there till 2004. Also the Church had the blessing of Fr. Daniel El Antony who served with us for a period of 6 months followed by Fr. Moussa El Antony who joined us for 6 months till March 2005.
Since the enthronement of His Grace Bishop Suriel in 1999, the Church continued to flourish. We continued to pray in what we called the Arabic Church which was the small shed that His Holiness had blessed. The congregation had outgrown the space way before the year 2000. Thus we started, during the feast of St Mina on the 24th of November 2000, digging for the foundation of the new Church; a bigger Church. We would do the first stage which would be the Church downstairs and then build the upstairs Church in due time. On the 6th of January 2002, we had finished completing the beautiful Church downstairs and His Grace Bishop Suriel prayed the Divine Liturgy for Christmas on the evening of the 6th of January 2002. At this stage, the downstairs Church was complete with all the icons in the same way present now. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III next visit was on the 23rd of November 2002; we were blessed by having His Holiness consecrate the Church, the altar and all the beautiful icons that are here today that were painted by the great iconographer Ashraf Fayek.
On the 9th of March 2003, we were blessed also to have the ordination of Fr. Antonios Gerges in this very same Church by His Grace Bishop Suriel. We were then blessed by two lovely priests that have joined the Church: Fr Athanasius Attia was ordained in the Church for the congregation of St Mina and St Marina on the 12th of November 2006. During that day as well Fr Abanoub received the rank of hegumen through the holy hands of His Grace Bishop Suriel. We have also received the blessings of receiving from overseas Fr Timothaous who came from Tanta, Egypt. He had spent a lot of time in his past history serving in Port Said. Fr. Timothaous joined us on the 6th of December 2007. Then in 2012, HG Bishop Suriel ordained Fr. Elijah Fanous as parish priest. Hence we have now four priests in the Church that are fully dedicated to serving the congregation.
We have also increased the congregation from a small number of about 45 – 50 families back in the times of the hall in Endeavor Hills to now having around 500 families that are members of this Church. The affordability of the land and houses in the south eastern suburbs and appeal of this area to new immigrants, has contributed to the vast increase in the congregation. The Church currently would seat about 1000 – 1200 people and can cater for the needs of the people. We have some dedicated classrooms for Sunday School equipped with LCD screens. The Church have two huge minarets that extend 18 meters up in the sky to glorify God and to be a sign of the blessing to this area. All this could not have been done without the blessings of Triple Blessedness His Holiness Late Pope Shenouda III, his vision and his opinion about starting this new Church. Also vital to the project is the support and blessing of His Grace Bishop Suriel; our father who is always asking about us and always dedicating his life to us. Through their prayers and through the blessings of St Mina and St Marina, may God continue with his work for the building for the glory of his name and glory be to God now and forever more Amen.
His Holiness visited Melbourne again in 1993 and he laid the foundation stone of the large proposed Church on Saffron drive in Hallam; this took place in September 1993. During that time, the congregation was still growing. In addition to the people coming to Church quite regularly, newcomers were joining the Church all the time. In 1999, Fr. Isaac El Antony came to serve in Melbourne at St Mina and St Marina Church. He served there till 2004. Also the Church had the blessing of Fr. Daniel El Antony who served with us for a period of 6 months followed by Fr. Moussa El Antony who joined us for 6 months till March 2005.
Since the enthronement of His Grace Bishop Suriel in 1999, the Church continued to flourish. We continued to pray in what we called the Arabic Church which was the small shed that His Holiness had blessed. The congregation had outgrown the space way before the year 2000. Thus we started, during the feast of St Mina on the 24th of November 2000, digging for the foundation of the new Church; a bigger Church. We would do the first stage which would be the Church downstairs and then build the upstairs Church in due time. On the 6th of January 2002, we had finished completing the beautiful Church downstairs and His Grace Bishop Suriel prayed the Divine Liturgy for Christmas on the evening of the 6th of January 2002. At this stage, the downstairs Church was complete with all the icons in the same way present now. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III next visit was on the 23rd of November 2002; we were blessed by having His Holiness consecrate the Church, the altar and all the beautiful icons that are here today that were painted by the great iconographer Ashraf Fayek.
On the 9th of March 2003, we were blessed also to have the ordination of Fr. Antonios Gerges in this very same Church by His Grace Bishop Suriel. We were then blessed by two lovely priests that have joined the Church: Fr Athanasius Attia was ordained in the Church for the congregation of St Mina and St Marina on the 12th of November 2006. During that day as well Fr Abanoub received the rank of hegumen through the holy hands of His Grace Bishop Suriel. We have also received the blessings of receiving from overseas Fr Timothaous who came from Tanta, Egypt. He had spent a lot of time in his past history serving in Port Said. Fr. Timothaous joined us on the 6th of December 2007. Then in 2012, HG Bishop Suriel ordained Fr. Elijah Fanous as parish priest. Hence we have now four priests in the Church that are fully dedicated to serving the congregation.
We have also increased the congregation from a small number of about 45 – 50 families back in the times of the hall in Endeavor Hills to now having around 500 families that are members of this Church. The affordability of the land and houses in the south eastern suburbs and appeal of this area to new immigrants, has contributed to the vast increase in the congregation. The Church currently would seat about 1000 – 1200 people and can cater for the needs of the people. We have some dedicated classrooms for Sunday School equipped with LCD screens. The Church have two huge minarets that extend 18 meters up in the sky to glorify God and to be a sign of the blessing to this area. All this could not have been done without the blessings of Triple Blessedness His Holiness Late Pope Shenouda III, his vision and his opinion about starting this new Church. Also vital to the project is the support and blessing of His Grace Bishop Suriel; our father who is always asking about us and always dedicating his life to us. Through their prayers and through the blessings of St Mina and St Marina, may God continue with his work for the building for the glory of his name and glory be to God now and forever more Amen.