we mourn & pray

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18555 88 Avenue, Surrey, British Columbia, V4N 5T1, Canada On July 19, 2021, the congregation of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey, B.C., woke up to news that their church had been burned to the ground. Flames broke out shortly before 3:30 AM and by the time firefights arrived, the building was engulfed in flames that were visible for miles. This nearly 70-year-old building was much more than just a building; Bishop Mina said in a statement, “… it was a place [where] we built community, where we shared meals, where we married our youth, baptized our babies and welcomed newcomers to the faith…” Our Church brought together a diverse congregation of Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iraqi and Lebanese Orthodox believers. While we are thankful to all those who have reached out and offered their churches as a temporary location where our services can continue to be held, we hold strong in the belief that our Lord Jesus Christ will “restore its ruins and will rebuild it as it used to be.” (Amos 9:11). We rely on your generosity to be able to once again build a church that will be a beacon of light to all those around it and serve the needs of its congregation and the surrounding community. Update on August 30, 2021 4:00 PM: Surrey RCMP issued a press release regarding their investigation into the fire that destroyed our church. On Thursday August 26, 2021 they arrested a 35-year old woman and charged her with two counts of arson in connection with the incidents on July 14, and July 19, 2021. Four ways to donate 1. Credit Card through PayPal 2. Credit Card through GoFundMe 3. E-transfer Canadians can donate by E-transfer to donation@stgeorge.ca 4. Wire Transfer To do a wire transfer from the USA or […]

The Martyrdom of the Saints: Barbara and Juliana.

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December 17, 2025 Kyahk 8, 1742 On this day Sts. Barbara and Juliana, were martyred. Barbara was the daughter of a noble man from one of the countries in the east, called Dioscorus, during the days of Maximianus the Emperor, in the beginning of the third Christian century. Because of his strong love for her, he built her a tower to live in. The saint always raised up her eyes to the sky from the top of the tower and contemplated the beauty of the sky and what was in it: the sun, the moon and the stars. She came to the conclusion that they must have an able and wise maker and that would be none other than the Almighty God who created them. Origen, the scholar, happened to be in this area and was informed of the saint. He went to her and taught her the principles of Christianity. There were two windows in the bathroom and she ordered a third one to be opened and a cross to be placed over the water basin. When her father came to see her and saw the changes that were done, he asked her for the reason. She told him, “Don’t you know, my father, that with the Holy Trinity everything is complete, and here are three windows in the name of the Holy Trinity. This sign is the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein was the salvation of the whole world. I ask you, O my dear father, to turn away from the wrong way that you are in and worship the God Who created you.” When her father heard these words, he became angry, drew his sword and ran after her. She fled, and he ran after her. There was a rock in front of her that […]

Our Church

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HG Bishop Mina 1-647-772-2233 1-289-724-3300 anbamina762009@gmail.com Fr. Bisenty Abdel-Messih Gerges Fr. Armia Aziz Gerges peniot@hotmail.com fr.armia@stgeorge.ca