Saint Mark the Great Church in Preston, Melbourne, capital of the Australian state of Victoria, celebrated on the morning of Saturday, November 17 the 35th anniversary of the church’s dedication by the late His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, as well as the 28th annual commemoration of the repose of the church’s founder, Father Victor Raphael, who passed away on October 14, 2008. The celebration coincided with the church’s annual Egyptian cultural festival, which will continue until the afternoon of Sunday, November 18.The celebration began with the Divine Liturgy presided over by His Grace Anba Rewis, the general bishop of the diocese. The church organized a variety of spiritual and cultural activities filled with Egyptian atmosphere, accompanied by tables of foods and sweets beloved by Egyptians.The Church of Saint Mark in Melbourne was founded in 1974 in the Northcote area under the care of the late Father Victor Raphael, who was a recipient of the Order of Australia. It began in a rented building associated with the United Church to serve the Coptic community. In 1986, as the number of Coptic immigrants grew, the church purchased a plot of land in the Preston neighborhood to build a permanent home. With the blessing, prayers, and donations of the Christ-loving congregation, construction began. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III blessed the church during his visit to Australia in 1989; the building was completed in 1990, and Pope Shenouda III consecrated the church during his 1991 visit to Australia in the presence of six metropolitans and bishops, members of the Holy Synod.