St George Coptic Orthodox Church

The growing Coptic community in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney petitioned Bishop Samuel for a church. On the 3rd of September 1972 A Methodist Church, in Kensington, was leased and later purchased by the Copts. It was given the name St George Coptic Orthodox Church.

It was in August 1973 that Bishop Samuel along with Fr Mina Nematalla and Fr Youhanna celebrated the first Liturgy in the church. An impressive two storey Sunday school building containing seven classes and office and large hall was constructed in 1984. His Holiness Pope Shenouda later consecrated the Church on November 22nd 1989.

Since then Parish Priest Father Marcos Khella transformed the interior of the church by contracting expert craftsmen from Egypt to design, hand carve and install an Iconostasis, 36 icons, 2 pulpits, a large dome on the alter, and a niche, all beautifully fashioned according to traditional Coptic design. This took place between 1991/1992 thus making St George Church a splendid monument of Coptic Art and Iconography.

By 1993 The Lord had blessed the church with a growing congregation and a new priest, Father Rafael. In 2000 Major changes were made to the church building as another church was built upstairs for English services as well as new Sunday school rooms and youth area. In 2004 Father Matthew was ordained priest for youth ministry and began his service at St George Church. Due to the growth and demand for service at St George in 2013 Dr Raef Farag the Sunday school coordinator at St George was ordained as the Father Kyrillos the fourth serving Priest of St George