Our Parish 

St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Astoria, New York, was established in 1994 with the blessing of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III to serve the growing Coptic community in Queens. The first Divine Liturgy was held on October 24, 1994, in a rented church in Astoria, where several visiting priests faithfully served the early congregation.

In September 1995, the late Fr. Rewais Magar was appointed to shepherd the church. With unwavering faith, he guided the congregation through years of temporary locations while searching for a permanent home. Despite many challenges and unsuccessful attempts, he continually encouraged the people, saying, “St. George has not yet chosen his church.”

In 1997, after much prayer and perseverance, the church identified what would become its permanent home. At a critical point in the negotiations, a $100,000 shortfall nearly prevented the purchase. However, through what the congregation witnessed as divine intervention, the owner’s wife offered to cover the difference after seeing St. George in a dream, affirming that the building was meant for the church. As the closing date approached, the church was still short of funds, until an unexpected $30,000 donation arrived—completing the down payment. The first Divine Liturgy in the new church was celebrated on November 16, 1997, providentially coinciding with the commemoration of St. George.

The church continued to grow and was blessed with a portion of the relics of St. George in 1999, followed by additional relics of revered martyrs in 2006. Between 2006 and 2007, major renovations were completed, including the installation of a new iconostasis, icons, and altars. In August 2007, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III visited the church and consecrated the altars, icons, and sacred vessels, marking a historic milestone in the life of the parish.

August 19, 2007 Church Consecration Recording

After the departure of Fr. Rewais in 2008, the church flourished under the leadership of Hegumen Fr. Benjamin for 12 years. During this time, Fr. Antonios Habib was ordained in 2013 and served faithfully for several years. In 2017, Mr. Karam Awad was ordained as Deacon Athanasius.

Since 2020, the church has been under the pastoral care of Fr. Sorial Henery. That same year, Deacon Paul Bessada was ordained to serve alongside Archdeacon Athanasius. In 2022, he was ordained to the priesthood as Fr. Yostos Bessada. In 2023, Deacon Mikhail Iskander was ordained, and Deacon Athanasius was elevated to the rank of Archdeacon. During this time, Fr. Sorial Henery was confirmed as the permanent parish priest, and Fr. Yostos Bessada was blessed through the laying on of hands to serve as a parish priest. In 2024, Abram Soliman was ordained as a general priest for the Diocese, and Deacon George Hanna joined the church’s service.

In recent years, the church has continued to receive many blessings, including the relics of St. Mina the Wonderworker in 2020 and the establishment of a new altar in honor of St. Demiana and the 21 Martyrs of Libya in 2021. The parish also remains active in the wider community, including notable visits such as that of New York City Mayor Eric Adams in 2023.

Today, with a growing community of over 400 families, St. George Church stands as a thriving parish—rooted in faith, strengthened by God’s grace and miracles, and dedicated to worship, service, and preserving the rich spiritual heritage of the Coptic Orthodox Church.