Coptic Orthodox Cathedral Of Saint George
‘The
God of heaven Himself will prosper us;
therefore we his servants will arise and build…’
(Nehemiah
2:20)
The Cathedral of Saint George
Harmoniously set alongside the beautifully built Victorian Shephalbury
Manor is a Cathedral that bears the name of the great martyr
Saint
George, who is one of the greatest intercessors amongst the
Coptic faithful, as well as being the patron saint of England
While being the first Coptic Cathedral in this is also the first purpose-built Coptic place of worship in the United Kingdom and only the
second throughout the whole of Europe
.
Built in a characteristic cross shape and traditional Coptic
style and decoration, the cathedral is complimented by modern
functionality which will allow worshippers and visitors to enjoy a
comfortable and uplifting spiritual experience.
The new building has distinctive Coptic elements such as a
vaulted roof over the length of the structure, a traditional domed
Coptic bell tower with Coptic design stationed over the church and crowned
with a Coptic Cross. The interior of the cathedral is decorated with
an
iconostasis (icon bearer)
and intricate, hand-carved woodwork which has all been designed and prepared by skilled craftsmen in Egypt, it frames beautiful specially-commissioned traditional Coptic icons dedicated to the saints of the church, creating an atmosphere
of holiness within the quiet and peaceful surroundings and giving
the feeling of our heaven on earth.
Facilities at the Cathedral
The cathedral is situated within a larger complex that is
geared towards general, family and youth ministry, as well as an
active role within the local community; this is all referred to as ‘The Cornerstone.’
The Cornerstone
With the grace of God and the blessings of our holy father,
His Holiness Pope III, we have embarked upon an exciting and challenging project
which we have named The
Cornerstone.
Although the Coptic Church is an ancient church, it is very
much a
living church, by
which it has always provided for her children. This Centre has been designed for everyone, and we hope that each person will do what he
or she can to make this project a continuing success.
One of the areas of greatest concern in pastoral ministry in
this day and age is that
of youth, being the foundation of tomorrow’s Church.
Arising from this realisation is the
need to provide the greatest variety and diversity of pastoral, social and individual activities
and services, hence the necessity for more appropriate and specialised facilities with which to serve.
The children of today will be the church of tomorrow. We must anticipate their needs,
The complex offers a wide variety of facilities which
compliment those that are already
available within the existing manor house:
•
An annexed large multi-purpose
hall can be used for conferences, meetings, stage productions, sporting activities
• Adjoining the multi-purpose hall
are large games and activities rooms which are used for smaller activities such as table
tennis, snooker, pool, ‘table football’ and other
appropriate arcade and table games,
satisfying the youth work component of ministry. • Conference rooms are available
which can either be merged into a large room or partitioned into smaller areas to serve
smaller meetings, conferences, discussion groups, Bible studies and such gatherings. The following facilities are also available for visitors: • Ample car parking spaces • Designated disabled parking
spaces • Toilet facilities including those
for the disabled • A kitchen to cater for food
preparation and refreshments • Lift access to the upper floor
including use as an indoor basketball court or a five-a-side football field.