His Grace Bishop Daniel, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sydney and its affiliated regions in Australia, conducted the consecration ceremony for the Church of Saint Mary and the Great Martyr Saint George this Saturday morning, June 20. This event took place before the Divine Liturgy and was held in Newcastle, approximately 160 kilometers north of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

The ceremony was attended by His Grace Bishop Daniel, the Bishop and Abbot of the St. Anthony Monastery in Australia, His Grace Bishop Rois, the Bishop of Eastern Asia and the overseer of the Diocese of Melbourne and its affiliates, as well as the church’s priest, Father John Ghandour, and Father Mark of St. Anthony. The esteemed bishops consecrated the main altar in the names of the saints of the church, as well as altars dedicated to Archangel Michael and Angel Gabriel. They also dedicated new altar vessels, icons for the church, and the baptismal font.

During the liturgy, Bishop Daniel delivered a spiritual message in which he congratulated the church community on the consecration. He reflected on the church’s history since its inception and expressed gratitude to the revered bishops, Bishop Daniel and Bishop Rois, for their love and presence, as well as to Father John and all who have served the church and its congregation since its founding. The church organized a celebration for this occasion in the church hall, where the bishops signed the church’s consecration document.

It is worth noting that the church was established in early 2003, coinciding with the purchase of a historic church that had been closed since 1995. The church was officially registered in June 2003 under its current name. The small congregation undertook the necessary restorations and modifications for bi-weekly services until 2014, transitioning to weekly services until September 2016 due to budget constraints that prevented the appointment of a permanent priest.

As the community grew and the Coptic population in the city and surrounding areas increased, the congregation requested the ordination of a permanent priest in 2016. Father John Ghandour was ordained on July 2 of that year to serve the altar and the congregation throughout the week. Due to space constraints, the current church was purchased in 2018 to accommodate the growing number of congregants, with the first Divine Liturgy held on Saturday, August 25 of the same year.