The Body of Christ
in Taree
Bearing the apostolic faith of the See of St Mark — unbroken from Alexandria to this day.
One Faith. One Body.
One Sacrifice.
St Mary & Pope Kyrillos Coptic Orthodox Church is the Body of Christ gathered in Taree and the Manning Valley. We exist to guard and proclaim the Orthodox Faith as delivered once for all to the saints — the same faith preached by St Mark the Evangelist, sealed by the blood of the martyrs, and preserved by the Coptic Church through twenty centuries of trial and grace.
We are named for the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin St Mary, and for the blessed Pope Kyrillos VI — a saint of great miracles and deep prayer whose intercessions we seek. Under the shelter of these two intercessors, we offer the same Divine Liturgy, the same prayers, and the same Holy Sacraments that have been celebrated in the Coptic Church since the time of the Apostles.
How We Live the Faith
The Apostolic Tradition
The Coptic Church does not receive its faith from men, but from God — through the Holy Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and the martyrs who sealed it with their blood. We hold fast to the Nicene Faith, the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils, and the teachings of the saints.
The Holy Sacraments
The life of the Church is centred upon the Seven Holy Sacraments — above all, the Divine Liturgy, in which heaven and earth are united and the faithful receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist (Qurban).
Prayer & Fasting
Following the example of the Desert Fathers, the Coptic Church fasts approximately 210 days each year. We pray the Agpeya (Book of Hours) throughout the day and chant the Tasbeha (Midnight Praises), uniting our voices to God without ceasing.
Raising the Next Generation
We entrust the Orthodox Faith to our children through Sunday School and the work of devoted servants, so that each generation may in turn hand on what they have received — the same faith, unchanged, from the time of the Apostles.
Our Pope, Bishop & Priest
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St Mark
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II is the 118th successor to the Throne of St Mark the Evangelist. He shepherds the Coptic Orthodox Church throughout the world, upholding the apostolic faith and interceding for his flock. May God lengthen his days and strengthen his hands.
His Grace Bishop Daniel
Bishop — Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions
His Grace Bishop Daniel, as a successor of the Holy Apostles, carries the episcopal responsibility for the Coptic Orthodox faithful across New South Wales, the ACT, and Queensland. He watches over the flock with fatherly care and guides the servants in his diocese.
Abouna Bishoy Soliman
Priest of St Mary & Pope Kyrillos Church — Taree
Abouna Bishoy Soliman serves as shepherd and father of the faithful in Taree. He celebrates the Divine Liturgy, administers the Holy Sacraments, hears confessions, and intercedes for his flock before the altar of God — offering himself daily in service to Christ and His Church.
Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions
St Mary & Pope Kyrillos Church belongs to the Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions, under the fatherly oversight of His Grace Bishop Daniel. The diocese encompasses Coptic Orthodox congregations throughout New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland — all united in one apostolic faith and one eucharistic life.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia is part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ — whose Throne of St Mark in Alexandria is held today by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, the 118th successor to the Apostle and Evangelist St Mark.
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