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Just announced - all places of worship to be closed from 12pm Monday 23 March 2020, until further notice

Dear beloved congregation,

Our Prime Minister announced tonight that all churches will be closed, effective midday tomorrow (23 March 2020). The following Masses will be held tomorrow in the big church:

• 1st Mass 5-7 am
• 2nd Mass 8-10 am
• 3rd Mass 10-12 pm

Note that each Mass will be limited to 100 attendees, and social distancing rules will also apply.

May our kind Lord have mercy on us all during this time, and provide us His Grace to get through this together.

God bless you all.

In adherence to the discussions and restrictions imposed by the Australian Federal government, the guidance of our beloved father HE Metropolitan Tadros and in the interest of safety and protection of our entire congregation, the church will:

1. Comply with the directions of the Australian government in all Masses and Saturday’s Vespers previously announced in the previous service timetable.
2. Suspend Sunday school and Pre-servants classes. These will resume in an online format from the following week.
3. Suspend all youth meetings and Bible study meetings.
4. Hold a daily prayer meeting starting from Monday, 23rd March 2020 at 7:00 to 8:00pm. This will be live streamed on the church website and Youtube.

We all pray for the world to be safe from this pandemic, for healing for all sufferers, and protection for everyone.

“O God our helper, protect the world from death, scarcity, pestilence, ...” (from the nighttime Litanies of the Holy Pascha)

St Mary and St Mina’s Cathedral

Subject to the decisions and restrictions imposed by the Australian Federal government, and the guidance of our beloved father

HE Metropolitan Tadros, the ritual services in the Cathedral are arranged as follows:

1. The Masses: From Monday to Saturday will be as advertised before in the Lent Service Timetable with the commitment  of restricting the number of worshipers in each mass to less than 100 individuals. 
2. Saturday's Vespers: English, Arabic, and The Tasbeha as in the Lent Service Timetable.
3. Sunday Masses:
   Arabic Masses' Service in the Small Church 
   • First Mass: from 5:30 to 8:00 am
   • Second Mass: from 8:30 to 11:00 am
   English Masses' Service in the Big Church. 
   • First Mass: 7.00 - 9.00 am (for all English speakers, those who do not have children in Sunday School and multicultural).
   • Second Mass: 9:00 to 10:30 am (for youth and High school Students of Sunday schools).
   • Third Mass: From 9.00-10.30 am Pope Shenouda III's Hall in the school, for primary Sunday school children with parents, and it is imperative that the number in each Mass should not exceed 100 individuals. And if there is any increase in the number, the liturgy can be continued from the Pergolas area until Holy Communion. We remind you about the way of having the Holy Communion, We Should wait in our places and exit row by row in order to partake from the Holy communion as we used to do , and we thank you in advance for your cooperation with us.
4. Sunday School Service and Pre-Servants Preparation's Service: Without opening service from 10.45-11.30am. Everyone then quietly leaves the church (all sport activities, excursions, camps and retreats Should stop).
5. There will be no food services or preparing meals at all, and each family can arrange this for their children from home.
6. Youth Meeting and English Bible Study: as it is, with a commitment to the number as they used to do. (All sports and social activities should be cancelled).
7. There will be no activities for the Children's Club and the Youth 4 Christ on Friday.
8. There are no Arabic Meetings i.e. Pope Kyrillos” Meeting on Tuesday, and St. Joseph's Meeting on Friday will be cancelled.
9. We all hope to sanctify this fast and raise our hearts for the sake of saving the world from this epidemic, and that the Lord bless the steps of the Australian government in combating this epidemic.
10. We ask everyone to offer sincere individual and collective repentance so that God have compassion on us, save us all and make His house always open to us. Therefore, we encourage everyone to take an appointment for confession from the priests as soon as possible.
11. If greeting people by shaking hands, or by kisses and hugs, is an act of love, then now stopping yourself practicing those acts is an act of mercy expressing itself through love. We hope to abide by that to protect our people and our country, Australia.
12. Please commit yourself to use the antiseptic solution located at the entrance to each church, also use it when leaving the church.
13. We ask the elderly and those who suffer from some chronic diseases or weak immunity to attend the mass during the days of the week to avoid any infection, and the Rev Fathers are ready to give Holy Communion to those who wish in their homes.
14. We appeal to everyone who suffers from some symptoms such as high temperature and coughing and sore throat to rest at home and visit their doctor.
15. We ask the children of the church to inform us immediately of any result of Corona virus tests.
16. We ask the children of the Church to avoid family's gathering in house visits to avoid any infection.
17. There is a prayer meeting at home every Wednesday at 7.00-7:30 pm (can be followed up on Live streaming) for the safety of the world, Australia and the Church, to ask God to save us all from famine, plagues, earthquakes, drawings, fire,….etc “Litany of the Place”

St Mary and St Mina's Cathedral

1. We ask everyone to pray cordially to our Father to stop the spread of the epidemic of sin throughout the world, for our own repentance, and for the sake of our children and our churches.
2. We pray warmly and recite Psalm 90 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.." for the epidemic of the Coronavirus so that God can have compassion for the safety of His people.
3. When attending the church, please use antiseptic solution located at the entrance to each church, also use it when leaving the church.
4. Please try your best to stop shaking hands, hugs, kisses, also avoid gatherings in order to restrict the spread of the epidemic.
5. If cold symptoms appear, especially sore throat, cough, and high temperature, please seek medical advice and rest at home.
6. Do not use the church Communion corporal (lefafa) or the women's scarves. We encourage the ladies use their personal Communion corporal (lefafa) and scarf.
7. You can use instead a tissue paper which in turn should be kept with everyone.
8. Please do not crowd in the ladies' or men's Khoros. For this reason, there will be servants in each Mass to organise those who are participating the Holy Communion to make sure that each row will have a time long enough to complete the Holy Communion without crowding.
9. Please pray during the prayer meetings and Holy Liturgies (especially at the time when the sacraments are distributed) in one spirit, so that God may have compassion and mercy on us.
10. Please avoid visiting hospital and nursing homes for the elderly to avoid the spread of the epidemic.

We hope for our righteous God that this period will be an opportunity for personal and communal repentance, and we pray for all the sick people of any kind so that God will heal them and visit them with mercy and compassion.

St Mary and St Mina's Cathedral