CREW Meeting Christmas Dinner
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Members of the CREW meeting joined together on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 to celebrate a lovely and joy filled evening in preparation for the Christmas holidays and Nativity Feast. The evening started with the Compline prayer followed by icebreakers and a Christmas meal. We were blessed with the presence of our beloved Tasoni Debbie Hanna who led us in a discussion entitled "The True meaning of Christmas." The night concluded with singing Christmas Carols, prayer, and a period of general fellowship. The CREW meeting is a joyful forum for growing in service and faith and we pray that all young adults who are interested in seeing Christ and serving with young Orthodox Christian generational leaders come visit and partake in the meeting.
Third Anniversary & Christmas Dinner Celebration
December 5, 2010
The church celebrated the Third anniversary since her inauguration as well as Christmas by holding a banquet at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Banquet Hall on Sunday, December 5th. The dinner was attended by H.G. Bishop David, most of the church congregation, as well as many guests and family members. The evening started with the ringing of bells from St. Mark’s choir who played many Christmas tunes. Our children then presented two beautiful skits which portrayed the true meaning of Christmas. We welcomed two dignitaries who are Hon. John McCallum, MP for Markham-Unionville and Hon. Minister Michael Chan, MPP for Markham-Unionville who congratulated the church for celebrating the third anniversary and Christmas. The church also received a letter from H. W. Mayor Frank Scarpitti congratulating us for completing the rezoning process and looking forward for the beginning of construction in 2011, God willing. Architect Medhat Abdou from WZMH presented the latest updates of the church architectural design which showed developments on the exterior as well as the interior of the building. Also, we shared in a presentation by Robert Martignani and Marlene Awad entitled “Year in Review”, and another by Moses McKay who presented two songs which he wrote and performed, as well as a metaphor by Emmanuella Aria entitled “The flower Garden”. Fr. Pishoy thanked our beloved father H. H. Pope Shenouda III and H. G. Bishop David for their love and support for our church ministry. He also spoke briefly about the theme of the upcoming year being “Rooted in Prayer” and welcomed all the guests. H. G. Bishop David spoke many words of encouragement to the attending congregation explaining how SMSV has become a model for mission in North America and how H. H. Pope Shenouda III is blessing and supporting our ministry. Overall, it was a joyful evening of celebration, sharing memories, outreach, and fellowship. God bless everyone who labored to make this evening a great success.
Congratulations to Mark and Sylvia Murton for the baptism of their daughter Mya Elizabeth on Saturday, December 4th, 2010. May the Lord bless the entire family.
“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.” (Hebrews 5:4)
We all rejoice today, Tuesday November 30, 2010, at the ordination of our new priest, Fr. Daniel Hanna, who received the blessing of the laying of hands by our beloved father H. H. Pope Shenouda III at the chapel of the papal residence in Cairo. God willing,Fr. Daniel will be travelling immediately to St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey in Corpus Christi, Texas to spend the 
spiritual retreat following his ordination. On this blessed occasion,we would like to thank our beloved father H. H. Pope Shenouda III and his partner in the apostolic service H.G. Bishop David for their leadership, support, and love throughout the nomination and ordination process. Let us pray together for our beloved father Abouna Daniel to spend a fruitful time at the Abbey and we ask him to pray for the entire congregation.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
PHOTOS: Part 1 & 2
Visit of Mrs. Margo Rizk, FMP Instructor
November 5-9, 2010
We were blessed by the visit of Mrs. Margo Rizk from November 5-9, 2010. Margo is a Family and Couples counselor who is currently teaching several courses at the Family Ministry Program in the SUS Diocese. During her visit, Margo led several meetings in the church including the youth meeting, a family meeting, a couples meeting, JOY meeting, and the CREW meeting. She also had the opportunity to counsel many individuals in one-on-one meetings. During this weekend, the church launched her new “Holy Family” Counseling Ministry. God bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.
A Glorious Day of Sharing Good News
October 31, 2010
The Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 31st, 2010 was a glorious occasion to celebrate all of God’s gifts for our congregation. It was a day where the church family welcomed with open hearts the nomination of Alfred Hanna for ordination as a priest which will be held in Egypt, Lord willing, on November 14, 2010. Also, we shared the joy of the conclusion of the appeal period and the confirmation of the new church land zoning by-law. Thirdly, we learned about the interest of two banks to provide us with the construction loan conditional upon reaching our financial goal for this year. Finally, we heard the heart moving message from our beloved father H.H. Pope Shenouda III to our congregation encouraging us to continue growing in spirit and in our mission. We praise our loving God for all His blessings to our church family.
All-Saints Celebration
October 31, 2010
Our children gathered at church in the evening of October 31st to share in activities, games, praises, and fellowship. The children contributed many winter clothing items to be distributed to the Lord’s brethren downtown to keep them warm during the winter season. While the children enjoyed their program, the parents met together to discuss matters related to raising children followed by a prayer meeting. God bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.
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“Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy.” (Psalm 132:9)
Nomination of Alfred Hanna as Priest at SMSV
Monday, October 25, 2010
We are so thankful to our beloved father H. H. Pope Shenouda III for accepting the nomination of Alfred Hanna for ordination as a priest at our church. We are also grateful for the support of H.G. Bishop David during the nomination process. We all rejoice at God’s work in our midst and praise Him for His unconditional love and care for our church community.
““Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.” (2 Chronicles 14:7)
Confirmation of the New Zoning By-Law
October 28, 2010
Praise God for all the wonderful news that He’s been sending us this week. Through God’s grace, we received a letter today from the Town of Markham concerning the approval and confirmation of the new zoning by-law which is now in full effect allowing us to build the church and all its auxiliary uses. The new by-law which was approved on September 21, 2010 required an appeal period which has now passed and is now in full effect. This is a time of rejoicing, celebration, and thanksgiving to the Almighty God.
Please come this Sunday, October 31, and invite everyone, to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and to share in a historical day in which we will rejoice over all this wonderful news. A potluck brunch will follow the Liturgy. Also, expect another SURPRISE on Sunday after the Liturgy.
Congratulation to Francella Photini Brown for her blessed baptism on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at St. Mary & St. Joseph Coptic Church in Richmond Hill. May the Lord bless her lfe.
Congratulations to Dave and Laureen Campbell for the Baptism of their son Isaiah Dave on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at St. Mary & St. Joseph Coptic Church in Richmond Hill. May the Lord bless their lives.
Visit of Fr. Abraham Fam from Zambia
October 16-17, 2010
We were blessed by the visit of Fr. Abraham Fam and Tasoni Dahlia who are currently serving in the Coptic mission in Zambia during the weekend of October 16-17, 2010. Fr. Abraham prayerd the vespers raising of incense on Saturday and delivered a meditation on the gospel of feeding the multitudes. Our Zambia Mission Team then had a presentation on their recent mission this past summer where they shared many of their experiences and lessons learned. On Sunday, Fr. Abraham celebrated the Divine Liturgy and blessed us at the JOY meeting. We thank the Lord for this joyful visit that inspired us and inflamed our hearts with the Lord's love.
Meeting with Mr. John McCallum, MP
October 13, 2010
The church engineering committee met with Mr. John McCallum, the Federal Member of Parliament for Markham-Unionville, where the church land is located. The purpose of the meeting was intended to introduce ourselves as a community and to present the church project which will be built, God willing, in his jurisdiction. The committee also extended an invitation to Mr. McCallum to join us for the annual Christmas and anniversary dinner on December 5, 2010.
“Faith in Action” Outreach Nights
October 11 – 12, 2010
The church organized two outreach nights on October 11 & 12, 2010 which were held at the Armenian Youth Centre in North York. Our beloved guest speaker Fr. Anthony Messeh discussed the theme “Faith in Action: Do you really believe what you believe?”. Congregation members invited friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours to participate in praising and worshipping God during these two evenings. The church worship team WWL led praise and worship and there were several musical presentations by Chris Assaad, Ashraf Amin, and Francella Brown of original praise songs written and sung by them. Also, the guests enjoyed some beautiful African songs as part of the program. We were blessed to hear Kidane and Tekle Samuel as well as Myrna and Ron Quan share their journey to find God in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Hundreds of CDs, DVDs, books, pamphlets, and gifts were distributed during these two nights and the glory of our beloved mother the Coptic Church was shared with our guests. Everyone was encouraged to take the next step in living their faith and were invited to consider the Coptic Orthodox Church as their home. We are extremely thankful and blessed with the spirit of love and acceptance that overshadowed this event and for everyone who attended from our congregation and guests. May our Lord bless this ministry for His glory.
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Youth Meeting with Fr. Anthony Messeh
October 11, 2010
The church youth held a special meeting with Fr. Anthony Messeh on October 11, 2010. The topic of discussion was “The Spirituality of the Divine Liturgy”. The youth asked many questions concerning how to prepare and benefit from the Divine Liturgy. We thank our beloved father Abouna Anthony for making time for the youth in his tight schedule.
Thanksgiving Congregation Spiritual Retreat
“The Invisible Hand of God”
October 10 - 11, 2010
The church family participated in the Annual Thanksgiving Long Weekend Spiritual Retreat which was held at White Oaks Conference Resort in Niagara-on-the Lake from October 10 – 11, 2010. The title of this year’s retreat was “The invisible Hand of God” where our beloved guest speaker Fr. Anthony Messeh discussed themes from the Book of Esther. Everyone shared in a thanksgiving dinner on Sunday evening and celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Monday morning. The general atmosphere of the retreat was that of joy and thanksgiving. This is our largest retreat of the year and one that is truly memorable. We are thankful for the many new friendships that were started during this weekend and for all our guests who came from various parts on Canada and the United States. God bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name and we look forward for other retreats in the near future God willing.
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Visit of H.G. Bishop Elia
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Church community was blessed by the visit of H.G. Bishop Elia, Bishop of Khartoum, as part of the celebrations for the Feast of St. Maurice on Tuesday, October 5th. His grace celebrated vespers raising of incense, a procession, and a glorification for St. Maurice. Afterwards, his grace delivered a spiritual meditation and answered many questions. Sayedna greeted every member of the attending congregation and gave them a souvenir as a blessing. This was a very special evening indeed where everyone rejoiced in the spirit and felt God’s presence.
Congratulations to Beata and Sam Antonious for the baptism of their son
Benjamin Andrew. May the Lord bless the family for the glory of His holy
name.
YSM Youth Drop In
October 1, 2010
Volunteers from SMSV helped the YSM prepare a meal for the youth in the YSM community. The team served the youth and joined in a fellowship meal full of encouragement and discussions on career and leadership.
Passing of Church Land New Zoning Bylaw
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (2 Chronicles 7:15, 16)
Through God’s grace, the new zoning bylaw was unanimously passed without any hold at the council meeting held at the Town of Markham on Tuesday, September 21st. This new bylaw will permit us to build the church and all its auxiliary uses on our land. God willing, the bylaw will go into effect in mid October 2010. Let us continue to pray for all the upcoming steps until we realize our dream of building our new church. Praise God for all His mighty works among us.
Youth Group Chudleighs Apple Farm and Frankie Tomatto's Excursion
Saturday September 25, 2010
The youth group and their counsellors had a fun filled day starting with a visit to Chudleighs Apple Farm. There, they taste tested the six varieties of apples available for picking and then picked their own apples to take home. Apple picking was followed by a buffet lunch at Frankie Tomatto's where Fr. Pishoy shared a short meditation inspired from Song of Songs 2:3 "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste." The day was enjoyed by all and was filled with great fellowship and many new friendships being formed.
Congratulations to Iriny and Robert Atkinson for the baptism of their son Quinn Michael on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at St. Mary & St. Joseph Church in Richmond Hill. May the Lord richly bless their lives.
Habitat for Humanity
September 22, 2010
Fr. Pishoy was invited to share a devotion and a prayer with volunteers of Habitat for Humanity (HFH) “Toronto’sRetooling Build” at the Kingston and Morningside site on Tuesday, 
September 22, 2010. The meditation was inspired from Nehemiah 2:20 “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build”. Fr. Pishoy thanked all the volunteers for their commitment and enthusiasm and prayed for their safety and heavenly reward. We also thank Ms. Courtney Mooney, HFHFaith Ambassador, for sharing in the Divine Liturgy at SMSV on September 19th where she expressed her gratitude to the congregation for their continued volunteer efforts with HFH.
C.R.E.W. BBQ & Activities Night
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
The C.R.E.W. Young Adults Meeting hosted a BBQ and activities night for its members on Tuesday, September 7th. Young adults from across the GTA gathered together for a fun night that was filled with fellowship and spiritual growth. From the moment members arrived to church they were greeted, welcomed, and obtained a name tag to ensure that they are recognized by name. The games were very enjoyable and ensured that members interacted together and developed new friendships. Afterwards, there was a time of worship and a meditation given by Fr. Pishoy entitled “Glorifying God at Work” (1 Corinthians 4:12) on the occasion of Labour Day celebrations. Finally, everyone shared together in the BBQ and spent time in fellowship. God bless and reward everyone who labored hard to organize this fun filled evening and we look forward for similar activities for our young adults in the near future.
Youth Group Activities Night
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Youth Group counselors organized an activities night for the youth on Friday, September 3rd at Blessed Trinity School. The night included ice breakers, games, sports, and a spiritual meditation from Fr. Pishoy on having “An Acceptable Year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19) on the occasion of a new Coptic year as well as a new academic year. The night was concluded with sharing in a pizza agape meal. God bless every ministry for the glory of His holy name.
Annual Toronto Harbour Boat Cruise Excursion
Monday, September 6, 2010
It has become an annual tradition to go out on a boat cruise in the Toronto Habour during the Labour day long weekend to enjoy the beautiful Toronto skyline from Lake Ontario, watch the air show with the acrobatic planes hovering above us, to enjoy a spiritual fellowship, and to grow together as a family in Christ. The day started with celebrating the Divine Liturgy at St. Luke’s Church and then the group headed together in the buses to Harbour Front where we boarded the cruise ship. The program included special activities for children, youth, and adults. Some members presented skits, ice breakers, jokes, and every one shared together in an agape meal. Fr. Pishoy led a discussion on “Glorifying God at Work” being inspired from John 5:17. Overall, it was a fun day which church members of all ages enjoyed one another’s company and fellowship.
Couples BBQ
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The church organized a Couples BBQ on Saturday, August 28th at the Church of St. Luke. Engaged and married couples gathered together for spiritual rejuvenation, fellowship, and activities. The theme of the night was “Love and Respect” being inspired from Ephesians 5:33. Drs. Amir and Wedad Hanna reflected on the importance of love in the family while Alfred and Debbie Hanna spoke on the different methods of showing respects in a household. All couples had a chance to share in an agape meal, participate in fun activities, and get introduced to one another. This event was the initiation of the Couples and family ministry in the church and all participants requested that these meetings would be repeated frequently. Overall, it was a night filled with spiritual growth, fellowship, and sharing of experiences that helped us to feel as a united body in Christ that is solidly connected together. God bless everyone who participated in preparing this successful gathering and we look forward for similar meetings in the future.
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Visit of H.G. Bishop Rueiss to the Church Land
Monday, August 30, 2010
We were blessed by the visit of H.G. Bishop Rueiss to the Church land on Monday, August 30th. His Grace prayed the Thanksgiving Prayer and sprinkled holy water in the land. Sayedna prayed for a speedy construction process and promised to bless us by his presence in the opening Divine Liturgy, God willing. We thank His Grace from the bottom of our hearts for his care and love and we pray for his health and strength.
Congratulations to Hany and Jane Danial for the baptism of their daughter Sarah Mary on Saturday, August 21, 2010. May our Lord bless and protect her.
