Tag: Surrey

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 Appearance of the Head of St. John the Baptist

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March 9, 2026 Amshir 30, 1742 On this day we celebrate the commemoration of the appearance of the head of St. John the Baptist. Herod commanded his head to be cut off and brought on a platter and given to Herodias, according to her request. (Mark 6:7-28) It was said that after the feast he regretted the slaying of St. John so he kept the head in his house. Aritas, the Arabic King, Herod’s father-in-law, was enraged because Herod banished his daughter and married the wife of his brother, while his brother was still alive. Aritas instigated a war against Herod in revenge for his daughter. He overcame Herod, dispersed his army and destroyed the cities of Galilee. When Tiberius Caesar learned that the reason for these wars was the slaying of a prophet, who was great among his people, by Herod, who banished his wife, the daughter of Aritas, the Arabian king, and married his brother’s wife, he summoned Herod and Herodias to Rome. Herod hid the head of St. John in his palace and went to Rome. When he arrived there, Tiberius removed him from his position and stripped him of all his possessions and exiled him to Spain where he died. Herod’s palace was ruined and became an example for those who might think of following in his footsteps. A few years later, two believing men from Homs went to Jerusalem to spend the holy fast (Lent) there. Night fell on them while passing by the ruins of Herod’s palace, so they spent the night there. St. John appeared to one of them and told him about his name and the whereabouts of his head and ordered him to take it to his house. When he woke up, the man told this to his friend and they […]

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