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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