✦   Belmore, Sydney   ✦

Welcoming You Home

St Wanas Coptic Orthodox Church — a family of faith in the heart of Sydney's Inner West, where ancient traditions meet a living, welcoming community.

Discover Our Church View Services
Scroll

"The church where everybody is a somebody"

Our Reverend Father Suriel Hanna welcomes you and your family to St Wanas Coptic Orthodox Church.

We are a church of the Orthodox Christian Faith established on the day of Holy Pentecost in the Year 33 AD, now part of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney.

📍 458 Burwood Rd, Belmore NSW

St Wanas Gala Dinner 2026

Special Event

St Wanas
Gala Dinner

📅 Friday, 8th May 2026

"You are the light of the world" — Matthew 5:14

🎟 Purchase Tickets
St Wanas Coptic Orthodox Church Community
33
AD Founded

About Us

An Ancient Modern Christian Church

St Wanas' Coptic Orthodox Church is an Orthodox Christian parish within the Diocese of Sydney serving the Inner-West suburbs of Sydney and surrounding regions with an emphasis on community and service.

We believe that church is the only place where everyone is accepted and served. Only through God's grace, can we serve those of all ages, gifts, talents, backgrounds and needs. The mission of our family-oriented parish is to welcome and serve everyone through our Coptic Orthodox Christianity. We are a resilient church whilst still preserving the beauty of our rich history.

By God's grace, we strive for an organized and thriving church that will nurture a sense of fellowship within its congregation and focus on raising its children and youth with diligence, so that future generations may understand and fully appreciate the beauty of the Holy Mysteries and enjoy an intimate relationship with our Lord.

✝
Apostolic
📖
Biblical
🕊
Traditional
🙏
Sacramental

Weekly Schedule

Services & Sermons

Join us throughout the week for worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth.

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" Romans 15:7
✝
Tuesday
5:00 – 7:00am
Holy Liturgy (English) — Administration of Holy Communion and Visitations
✝
Thursday
8:30 – 10:30am
Holy Liturgy (Arabic)
10:30 – 11:30am
Breakfast and Fellowship (Senior Citizens)
11:30 – 12:30pm
Spiritual Word (Arabic)
✝
Friday
6:30 – 7:30pm
Hymnology and Tasbeha for High School and Youth
7:30 – 8:30pm
Meeting for Youth & School Leavers
7:30 – 8:30pm
Meeting for High School Kids
8:00 – 9:00pm
Bible Study for Parents
8:30 – 10:30pm
Fellowship, Food and Activities
✝
Saturday
8:30 – 10:30am
Holy Liturgy (English)
5:30 – 6:30pm
Hymnology Lessons for Primary School Children
6:30 – 7:30pm
Vespers Services
7:30 – 8:30pm
Tasbeha & Midnight Praises
✝
Sunday
8:30 – 10:45am
Holy Liturgy
11:30 – 12:30pm
Sunday School and Pre-Servants
12:45 – 1:30pm
Sunday School Servants Meeting
1:00 – 1:30pm
Kid's Choir Practice
6:30 – 8:30pm
Bethany Meeting for over 25 year olds (Fortnightly)

Our Leaders

Shepherds of Our Faith

H.H. Pope Tawadros II
Our Pope
H.H. Pope Tawadros II
118th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St Mark

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born on November 4th, 1952, in Mansoura, Egypt. He received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Alexandria University and entered the Monastery of St. Bishoy in 1986. He was ordained a monk in 1988 and elevated to the papacy as the 118th Pope of Alexandria.

H.G. Bishop Daniel
Our Bishop
H.G. Bishop Daniel
First Bishop of Sydney

His Grace Bishop Daniel serves as the First Bishop of Sydney under the auspices of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney, overseeing the spiritual wellbeing and pastoral care of the Coptic community across New South Wales.

Very Rev. Fr Suriel Hanna
Our Priest
Very Rev. Fr Suriel Hanna
First Priest of St Wanas Church

Very Reverend Father Suriel Hanna serves as the First Priest of St Wanas Coptic Orthodox Church, faithfully shepherding the congregation with love, dedication, and a deep commitment to the Coptic Orthodox faith and the community he serves.

St Wanas the Child Martyr
✝ Feast Day: Celebrated with joy & devotion

Our Patron Saint

St Wanas
The Child Martyr

Saint Anba Youanis (Wanas) was the only child born to a pious Christian couple in Luxor, who brought him up in the Christian faith. Despite his young age, he was ordained a deacon by the bishop of the city because of his love for Christ and his spiritual maturity.

He was raised in love of virtue, love of the Church, fear of God, reading the Bible, and learning about the lives of the saints and martyrs. He lived as an ascetic monk although he was only twelve years old. He stayed in church pretty much all the time and, although he was young, he fought the spiritual war faithfully.

During the days when there was liturgy, he helped in making the holy bread (Orban), and during the days that had no liturgy, he asked the neighboring women to make him some bread to sustain him. He walked around the church and did everything that was necessary without ever being lazy.

His pure faith, courageous witness, and martyrdom at such a young age make him an inspiration to all — especially to the children and youth of our parish who bear his blessed name.

What We Believe

Our Core Beliefs

Grounded in the ancient apostolic faith, we hold to the fullness of Christian truth handed down through the centuries.

✝
The One True God

We believe that God is one fullness of perfection; a perfect Spirit, timeless, without beginning, all-powerful and all-wise. He is good beyond measure, just, and all-holy.

☩
The Holy Trinity

We believe that God is one in Essence and Trinity in Persons — the one true God appearing to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three Persons sharing one divine nature.

🌿
Creation

We believe that all things are under God's control. He provides for every creature and guides everything to a good goal, loving and looking after us as a mother looks after her child.

🕊
Our Lord Jesus Christ

We believe in the Incarnation of the Word of God — that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, who died for our sins and rose again on the third day for our salvation.

🔥
The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and dwells in the Church, guiding, sanctifying, and empowering the faithful.

⛪
The Holy Church

We believe in the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church — the body of Christ — through which the sacraments are administered and the faithful are nurtured in grace.

⭐
The Second Coming

We await the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when He will judge the living and the dead, and establish the eternal Kingdom in its fullness.

📜
The Creed of Faith

We profess the Nicene Creed — the ancient declaration of Christian faith affirmed at the Council of Nicaea — as the summary of our belief and the foundation of our worship.

For Our Children

Sunday School

"Children are God's gift; they are heaven's generous reward." Psalm 127:3

Our Sunday School programs nurture the faith and spiritual growth of children across all age groups, raising the next generation with a deep love of the Church and the Holy Mysteries.

🍼
Crèche
2 years
🌱
Pre-Kindy
3 – 4 years
🌼
Kindy
5 years
📚
Primary
Year 1 – Year 6
🎓
High School
Year 7 – Year 12
✨
Pre-Servants
18+

Our Heritage

Church History

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the ancient Christian church founded in Egypt by St Mark the Apostle in the first century AD. The Copts, as successors of the ancient Egyptians, played an essential role in the whole Christian world — especially during the first five centuries of Christianity.

Their religious background helped them to accept Christianity with eagerness and to enjoy its depth through their ascetic life, meditation, and studying of the Holy Scriptures. The Copts are proud of the apostolicity of their church, whose founder is St Mark, one of the seventy Apostles.

Today, St Wanas Coptic Orthodox Church in Belmore carries this ancient legacy forward, serving the Inner-West Sydney community and beyond with the same unwavering faith that has endured for nearly two thousand years.

Apostolic

Founded by St Mark the Apostle — our faith traces directly to the Apostles of Christ.

Biblical

Deeply rooted in Holy Scripture, studied and treasured across every generation.

Traditional

Preserving the rich liturgical heritage of the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church.

Sacramental

The seven holy sacraments are the living heart of our worship and community life.

Conservative

Faithful to the orthodox teachings of the Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils.

Community

A welcoming family where everyone — of any age or background — finds belonging.

What's On

Monthly Events

Stay connected with everything happening at St Wanas this month.

April 2025
03
Friday
Unction of the Sick & Holy Liturgy
8:00–10:00am Unction of the Sick  |  10:00–11:00am Matins  |  11:00am–1:00pm Holy Liturgy
04
Saturday
Lazarus Saturday & Palm Sunday Vespers
Holy Liturgy 8:30–10:30am  |  Palm Sunday Vespers 6:30–8:30pm
05
Sunday
Palm Sunday Services
7:30–11:00am Procession of the Cross  |  9:00–11:00am Holy Liturgy
11:30am–12:30pm General Funeral  |  6:00–8:30pm Easter Pascha
6–13
Mon–Mon
Passion Week
Passion Week & Feast of the Resurrection
Program will be shared and can be found on the website and church app.
7–9
Tue–Thu
School Holidays
School Holiday Kids Club
8:00am–6:00pm Everyday
Limited spots — register via church app at stwanas.au
13–17
Mon–Fri
Youth
Rural Immersion Trip
Year 11 & 12 Experience. Limited spots — register via church app at stwanas.au
14–17
Tue–Fri
School Holidays
School Holiday Kids Club
8:00am–6:00pm Everyday
Limited spots — register via church app at stwanas.au
19
Sunday
Sunday School
Sunday School Easter Celebrations
From 11:30am during Sunday School

April 2026

Holy Week Schedule 2026

Join us as we walk through the final days of our Lord's life, death, and glorious resurrection.

Friday, April 3
Last Friday of Lent
8:00 – 10:00am
Unction of the Sick
10:00 – 11:00am
Matins
11:00am – 1:00pm
Holy Liturgy
Saturday, April 4
Lazarus Saturday
8:30 – 10:30am
Holy Liturgy
4:00 – 5:30pm
Palm Weaving Lessons
6:30 – 8:30pm
Palm Sunday Vespers
Sunday, April 5
Palm Sunday
7:30 – 9:00am
Procession of the Cross
9:00 – 11:30am
Holy Liturgy
11:30am – 12:30pm
General Funeral Service
6:00 – 8:30pm
Pascha of Monday Eve
April 6 – 8
Monday to Wednesday
6:00 – 7:00am
Early Hour Pascha
10:00 – 11:00am
Morning Hour Pascha
6:00 – 8:30pm
Evening Pascha
Thursday, April 9
Holy Thursday
7:00 – 8:30am
Morning Pascha
9:30 – 10:00am
Matins & Procession of Judas
10:00 – 11:30am
Liturgy He Washed (Akan)
11:30am – 1:00pm
Holy Liturgy
5:00 – 8:30pm
Evening Pascha
Friday, April 10
Good Friday
8:00am – 6:00pm
Good Friday Service
10:00pm – 4:30am
Apocalypse
Saturday, April 11
Joyous Saturday
4:30 – 6:30am
Joyous Saturday Liturgy
5:00 – 6:00pm
Matins
From 8:00pm
Feast of the Resurrection Liturgy
Community Feast at Church
Sunday, April 12
Resurrection Sunday
✝ Christ is Risen!
Exhrestos Anesti · Christos Anesti
Monday, April 13
Easter Monday
7:00 – 9:00am
Sham Elneseem Liturgy

Get in Touch

Contact Us

We'd love to hear from you. Come visit us or reach out anytime.

📍
📞
Phone
02 8880 8998
✉
📷
👥

Send Us a Message