Theological Seminary in Melbourne
His Grace Bishop Suriel of Melbourne is completing the development of the Theological Seminary in Melbourne and will open it to the general public. Moreover, the Seminary will soon be accredited through His Grace’s leadership.
What a wonderful and awesome endeavor that is greatly needed for our Church and for the public at large.
We ask our Good Savior to continue advancing these efforts for the glory of His Holy Name.
Please check out this wonderful video about the Seminary:
More Information available at: http://www.sacotc.org/
NAACCS 2009 & FTFT!
H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Pope & Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church
H.H. Pope Shenouda III presided over the North American Annual Coptic Clergy Seminar (NAACCS) which was held in Holy Virgin Mary’s Spiritual Vineyard of Charlton, MA from Monday, September 14, 2009 through Wednesday, September 16, 2009. There were 14 bishops and over 220 priests from the United States & Canada in attendance. Among the bishops in attendance where: H.G. Bishop Pisenti (Helwan), H.G. Bishop Botros (Patmos), H.G. Bishop Serapion (Los Angles), H.G. Bishop Youssef (Southern), H.G. Bishop Suriel (Melbourne), H.G. Bishop Agathon (Brazil), H.G. Bishop Youssef (Bolivia), H.G. Bishop Reweis (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Makarious (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Youannis (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Youhanna (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Armia (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop David (General Bishop), and H.G. Bishop Michael (General Bishop). The Seminar consisted of spiritual words of wisdom delivered by H.H. Pope Shenouda III and Their Graces the Bishops to the Reverend Fathers, as well as Question & Answer sessions.
On Tuesday morning, September 15, 2009, H.H. along with Their Graces the Bishop and Reverend Fathers travelled to Nashua, New Hampshire to consecrate the Coptic Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary & Archangel Michael (41 Chandler St, Nashua, NH 03064-2816). After consecrating the church H.H. and the clergy returned to the vineyard to continue their seminar.
On Tuesday evening, H.H. received and welcomed FTFT! (First Timothy Four: Twelve!), a faith-based church-supervised youth-managed missionary service organization. FTFT! presented to H.H., and all the clergy in attendance their origin, history, and goals. FTFT! explained that they are answering H.H.’ call for missionary service in the United States. They are serving with the spiritual goal of bringing people to Christ. They serve the neediest of our Lord’s people such as those who are hungry, homeless, sick, elderly, lonely, and imprisoned both Copts and non-Copts. H.H. was pleased with the group’s presentation, he blessed and encouraged them. H.H. distributed gifts to the presenters and took a group picture with them. H.G. Bishop David (Overseer of FTFT!) suggested that any priest interested in getting their local youth involved in such a service could contact FTFT! for help getting started.
To read more about the Seminar please visit:
To learn more about FTFT! please visit:
Holy Synod Session June 2009
Only 3 months late, I have just now received word of the resolutions and decrees of the past Holy Synod Session which convened on June 6, 2009. Below is a news post from the Lacopts.org website with a brief summary of the resolutions.
2009 Resolutions of the Holy Synod
On June 6, 2009, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church convened on the Glorious Feast of Pentecost to discuss several important issues in the life of the church and its faithful.
The attached file, compiled by Fr. Youhanna Mouris, contains an explanation of all of the Holy Synod’s decrees in Arabic and English.
Decrees of the Holy Synod 2009_E&A (PDF)
English Text of the Summary
The Holy Synod headed by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III in its session on June 6, 2009. agreed on the recommendations of the following Commissions:
Commission on Faith and Education
- Banning all closed and private meetings at any Coptic Orthodox Church as these meetings could be used to disseminate false teachings against the Orthodox faith.
- Banning spiritual or educational meetings about faith or Bible study or the like at home, except with a written permission that is clear and of specific objective from HG the Bishop of the diocese.
- His Holiness the Pope asked that, their Grace the Bishops are warned against ordaining priests without ascertaining their sound Orthodox faith and ensuring that they are not affected by the Protestant and Pentecostal infiltration attempts.
- Activating and expanding of the membership all the disciplines of the Religious Books’ Audit Committee that were previously approved and formed by the Holy Synod, and the announcement of that in various ways in order to limit the spread of books that are not sound in terms of the education of the Christian Orthodox faith.
- The film “Christ and the other” by Fayez Ghali has been reviewed and found that it does not agree with the texts of Bible and our Orthodox faith and it includes fictional and inappropriate scenes that are not consistent with the teachings of Christ and the texts of the Bible. These matters have been reported to the Oversight Committee on the Artistic Works. The Commission on Faith, Education and Legislation stresses the importance of the follow-up on this matter, in order to stop any material that offends the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Family, as well as the sacred texts of the Bible and Christian teachings.
Commission on the Dioceses’ Affairs
- Regarding the medical examination before marriage: Do not bring up the examination of semen for young people or the external genital examination of the girls or anything that could cause embarrassment to both parties.
Commission on the Monasteries’ Affairs
- Recognition of Anba Shenouda Monastery of Sydney – Australia
- Recognition of Anba Antonios Monastery of Melbourne, Victoria – Australia Commission on Satellite Channels 1. Their Grace the Bishops and Their Reverent the Priests to decline the participation in non- Orthodox Christian channels and those that are not subject to the supervision of the church.
Commission on Rituals’ Affairs
- Anyone of priesthood ranks is forbidden to pray special prayers aloud during the holy liturgy, except as indicated in the audible and inaudible liturgy prayers.
- Regarding the Synaxarium on The Assumption of the Body of the Holy Virgin St. Mary:
- Delete the insults against Pope Theophilos (23), and St. Epiphanius the Archbishop of Cyprus and against Queen Odoxia from the book of “Defnar”.
- Correct as stated in the issuance in the “A Guide to (Dallal) the Holy Week” (the issuance of Anba Takla Church, the St. Mina Monastery, and St. George Church in Sporting, and others) regarding Isaiah 53: 10, in the prophecies of the Eleventh Hour of the Great Thursday and Sixth Hour of the Great Friday, as follows: “the Lord wanted to heal Him of the wounds and if you offer yourself a sacrifice for sin you will see a harvest of many blessings” Following is the recommended text to be published in the Dallal: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand” (Isaiah 53: 10).
- If the feast of the Entry of Jesus Christ into the land of Egypt comes during the Holy Fifty Days, the readings of the Holy Fifty Days are read as usual, the responses of both Resurrection and Entry of Christ into the land of Egypt are chanted, and that this blessed feast is referred to in the sermon.
- Regarding the Prostration Prayers, the first Prostration Prayer is prayed in joyful tune; the second prayer starts in joyful tune then turns to annual tune starting with the gospel response; the third prayers is prayed in annual tune.
Delete the following lines from the currently used Synaxarium:
[They saw her sitting on the right hand of her Son and her Lord, surrounded by the angelic Host, as David prophesied and said, "At your right hand stands the queen." (Psalm 45:9)].
Also, delete the following text:
[She spent twelve years of them in the temple, thirty years in the house of the righteous St. Joseph, and fourteen years in the care of St. John the Evangelist, as the Lord commanded her saying, "Woman behold your Son," and to St. John, "Behold your Mother."]
And replace it with the sentence: “St. Mary’s life on earth was sixty years”.
Add the underlined words in the following text:
“St. Thomas was absent at the time of St. Mary’s departure, but he came after the burial. On his way back from India to Jerusalem, St. Thomas saw in a vision angels carrying St. Mary’s pure body and ascending with it to heaven.”
The Reception of His Grace Bishop Michael
The reception of His Grace Bishop Michael took place as stated below. Here is the link for some pictures of the event:
http://www.amsacopticchurch.org/photo/082309/index.html
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Below are details concerning the welcome reception for His Grace Bishop Michael, Bishop of Virginia and its districts (Sorry I still don’t know the official title). May God preserve him on his seat for many years and peaceful times.
Saturday, August 22: Vespers at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church at 5:00 pm. The Vespers will be attended by:
- H.G. Bishop Isidoros, Abbot of El Baramous Monastery, Egypt
- H.G. Bishop Youssef, Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern States, USA
- H.G. Bishop David, General Bishop (Papal Residence, Cedar Grove, NJ)
Sunday, August 23: Following the 8:30 am Divine Liturgy at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, a reception will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church** at 4:00 pm. The reception will be attended by:
- H.G. Bishop Isidoros, Abbot of El Baramous Monastery, Egypt
- H.G. Bishop Youssef, Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern States, USA
- H.G. Bishop David, General Bishop (Papal Residence, Cedar Grove, NJ)
- H.G. Bishop Serapion, Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, USA
- H.G. Bishop Apollo, Bishop of Southern Sinai, Egypt
**Saint Peter & Paul Anitochian Orthodox Church: 10620 River Road Potomac, MD 20854.
For more details visit www.stgeorgemd.org
The ECCYC 20th Anniversary Video
This year was the 20th Anniversary for the East Coast Coptic Youth Convention (ECCYC). This video commemorates the 20 years of ECCYCs. It is a compilation of pictures and clips from throughout the years. Congratulations to the ECCYC!
The 2009 Exercise Your Spirit 5K Run
On June 6, 2009, St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church of Jersey City, NJ hosted it’s Second Annual ”Exercise Your Spirit” 5K Run. The race was held on a beautiful sunny day at Nomahegan Park in Cranford, NJ.
In addition to the many returning participants from last year, runners from all over the tri-state area joined us this year to support their sister church. We hosted some 110 runners and 220 people at the BBQ. We were blessed with the attendance of our Reverend Fathers, Fr. David Bebawy and Fr. Anthony Basily, who distributed awards to our fastest male and female runners.
Fastest Male Runner – Mena Francis, finishing in 22:30
Fastest Female Runner – Maryann Sous
Also this year, we witnessed the Lord’s hand working as the money raised nearly doubled over night. The 5K Run raised $44,759.05! Five times the income of last year’s event! With this in mind, we especially recognize and thank the great efforts of the top three fundraisers:
1. Nasheds (Mark Thomas Daniel) – $6,058.00
2. Safwat Shaker – $4,285.00
3. Ralph Toss – $4,265.00
Many thanks to all those who planned, worked, and labored for this event to be such a GREAT success! A special thanks to our priests for their support and mentorship.
Other Sources:
Coptic Ordinations Pentecost 2009
On June 7, 2009, the Feast the Pentecost, H.H. Pope Shenouda III, the gathered Metropolitans, and Bishops ordained many bishops and priests.
They enthroned 2 existing bishops for dioceses as follows:
H.G. Bishop Timothaeus (Timothy), on the Diocese of El ZaaZeh, Egypt
H.G. Bishop Abakir, on the Diocese of Sweden and all Scandinavia
They also ordained 7 new bishops as follows:
H.G. Bishop Michael, on the Diocese of Virginia, United States
H.G. Bishop Daniel, on the Monastery of St. Shenouda, Australia
H.G. Bishop Theodosius, a General Bishop in the Diocese of El Giza, Egypt
H.G. Bishop Salib, a General Bishop in the Diocese of Meet Gamr, Egypt
H.G. Bishop Marcorios. on the Diocese of Girga, Egypt
H.G. Bishop Botros (Peter), on the Diocese of Shebeen El Anater, Egypt
H.G. Bishop Mina, a General Bishop
While ordaining the bishops, As he places the bishops crown on every new bishop, H.H. breathes onto their faces and recites, “… He said to them, As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)
They also ordained 37 new priests:
- Father Daniel to serve Virgin Mary & St. Abraam’s Church in Ajax, Canada
- Father Antonios, known as Nader Salib of East Brunswick, NJ to serve Virgin Mary & St. Kerolos’s Church in Pennsylvania, USA
- Father John, formerly known as John Rizkalla of East Brunswick, NJ to serve Virgin Mary & St. Athanasius’ Church – Raritan, New Jersey, USA
- Father Bishoy, known as Bishoy Lamie Mikhail to serve St. Antonios & St. Mina’s Church in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
- Father Mina, known as Mina Attwa to serve St. Mark’s Church in Nairobi, Kenya
- Father Steven to serve St. Moses the Black’s Church in Lusaka, Zambia
- Father Antony to serve St. Antonios’s Church in Lambo, Congo
- Father Kerolos (Cyril) to serve St. Mark’s Church in Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Antonios (Anthony) to serve St. Mark’s Church in Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Mikhail (Michael) to serve St. Mark’s Church in Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Martiros to serve St. George’s Church in El Bortoeya, Egypt
- Father Kerolos (Cyril) to serve St. George’s Church in El Bortoeya, Egypt
- Father Mina to serve St. George’s Church in El Bortoeya, Egypt
- Father Agnatios (Ignatius) to serve Vrigin Mary’s Church in Haret Zooela, Egypt
- Father Polycarpos to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Garden City, Egypt
- Father Yostos to serve St. Mark’s Church in Cleopatra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Antonios (Anthony) to serve St. Mark’s Church in Cleopatra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Mina to serve St. Mark’s Church in Cleopatra, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Yousef (Joseph) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Ard El Golf, Egypt
- Father Youhanna (John) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in El Sherooh, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Angelos to serve Virgin Mary & St. Shenouda’s Church in Ard El Berka, Egypt
- Father Gabrial (Gabriel) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in El Uptamia, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Rafael to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Deriaz, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Ibraam (Abraham) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Deriaz, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Shenouda to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Deriaz, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Moussa (Moses) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Ezbet El Nakhl, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Andrwais (Andrew) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Ezbet El Nakhl, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Philopateer to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Ezbet El Nakhl, Cairo, Egypt
- Father Mina to serve St. George’s Church in Sawael, Luxor, Egypt
- Father Ibraam (Abraham) to serve St. George’s Church in Sawael, Luxor, Egypt
- Father Philopateer to serve Archangel Michael’s Church and Monastery in Kamoola, Luxor, Egypt
- Father Moussa (Moses) to serve Archangel Michael’s Church and Monastery in Kamoola, Luxor, Egypt
- Father Elia (Elijah) to serve St. Pachomios’s Church in Luxor, Egypt
- Father Hedra to serve St. George’s Church in Armant, Egypt
- Father Boules to serve Sinai, Egypt
- Father Bishoy to serve St. Doolagi’s Church in Isna, Egypt
- Father Gerges (George) to serve Virgin Mary’s Church in Mahat El Fatekat, Egypt
They also elevated 2 priests to the rank of Hegomen:
1. Father Youhanna to serve St. Mark’s Church in Cleopatra, Cairo, Egypt
2. Father Antonios to serve Virgin Mary & John the Beloved’s Church in El ZaaZeh, Egypt
May the Lord continue to bless His Church and increase her service. We congratulate His Holiness Pope Shenouda III on the ordinations of these new servants of Christ. We also congratulate the newly ordained fathers the bishops, hegomens, priests, their families, and the congregations of these blessed churches.
Bishop Ordinations Video
Priest & Hegomen Ordinations Video
Satan’s Meeting
As this year’s Lent is almost over and I realized how it has just passed by, I have decided to spend this last week of Lent and Holy Week differently. I have been caught up with many things and I have been busy! Like many of us, I needed a wake up call. Well, a good friend shared this video with me and now I’m sharing it with you…
A Carrot, An Egg, and A Cup Of Coffee
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’
‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter… ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!
About Me
I am a Coptic Orthodox Christian, attending St. George & St. Shenouda’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Jersey City, NJ. I am an Electrical Engineering alumnus from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). I am currently studying at NJIT towards a MBA in Management Information Systems. I am a deacon with the rank of Reader (Ognostos) in the Coptic Orthodox Church. I was President of the Coptic Society, a campus fellowship, at NJIT. I am a Coordinator with FTFT! (First Timothy Four Twelve!), a community service organization. I am a Coordinator with the ECCYC (East Coast Coptic Youth Convention).
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