THE first Coptic Church in Australia would cost $2.3 million to refurbish and instead will be demolished by Marrickville Council.
Formerly the Tempe Park Methodist Church, it was reconsecrated as St Mary and St Mina’s Coptic Orthodox Church in 1968 and was first owned by Coptic migrants outside of Egypt.
Located on Railway Rd in Sydenham, the church was established following a petition to the Papal See in Cairo and the first Coptic Orthodox priest, Father Nematalla, arrived in Sydney and, with funds contributed by his congregation, purchased the building.
Marrickville Council said it had investigated ways to keep and preserve the building, including several EOIs to repurpose it, but the building’s condition, restrictions on any possible uses because of aircraft noise and the cost of refurbishment meant no future uses could be found.
Pope Tawadros II, centre, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, is greeted by members of St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, in Victorville Calif. The Pope visited the church for the first time in over 30 years. Picture: James Quigg/The Victor Valley Daily Press via AP
Marrickville Mayor Sam Iskandar said council had worked hard for many years to come up with ideas on how it could possibly retain the old Coptic Church.
“Now the time has come to recognise that the building is severely degraded and that all our attempts to repurpose it – in collaboration with the Coptic Church community – have been unsuccessful,” he said.
