Where was the quote “our mother the holy church” found?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The phrase "Our Mother the Holy Church" is woven into the fabric of Coptic liturgical life and the writings of the Fathers. While it appears in various prayers, its most prominent and formal uses are as follows:

1. The Absolution of Ministers (The Prayer of Covenant)

In the Coptic Liturgy, during the Absolution of Ministers (which the priest prays privately or during the Matins/Vespers raising of incense), he asks for the forgiveness of his own sins and those of the people. In this context, the Church is invoked as the Mother who gathers her children. The priest identifies himself as a servant of "the Holy Church, our Mother."

2. The Rite of Baptism

The most definitive "locus" (place) for this concept is the Rite of Baptism. The Coptic Church teaches that while we have an earthly mother who gave us birth into the world, the Church is the Mother who gives us birth into the Kingdom of Heaven.

• In the prayers over the baptismal water, the Church is described as the "womb" that produces spiritual children.
• Early Alexandrian Fathers, such as St. Clement of Alexandria, wrote: "One is the Mother Virgin; I like to call her the Church" (Paedagogus). He describes the Church as a mother who feeds her children with the "holy milk" of the Word.

3. The Liturgical Prayers and Hymns

In the Daily Theotokia and various Doxologies, the Church is addressed with maternal affection. For example:

• In the Doxology for the Church, we sing: "Hail to the Church, the house of the Angels... we ask you, O Church, our Mother, to intercede for us."
• During the Feast of the Consecration of a Church, the readings and prayers explicitly use the term "Mother" to explain that the physical building represents the spiritual Mother who protects and nourishes the faithful.

4. Patristic Origins (Alexandrian Tradition)

This is not just a poetic term but a theological reality taught by our Fathers:

• St. Athanasius the Apostolic: Often spoke of the Church as the Mother of the faithful who guards the "Nicene Faith" from the "Arian wolves." He believed that the Church, like a mother, protects the "integrity" of the faith for her children.
• St. Cyril of Alexandria: Taught that the Church is our Mother because she is "the spouse of Christ" and, through her, the grace of the Holy Spirit is infused into us.

5. Historical Context

The Coptic tradition is obsessed with "sacred geography" and "sacred identity." For example, the Homily of Zacharias of Sakha (referencing the journey of the Holy Family) shows that the land of Egypt and the churches built upon it are the "settlings" of the Mother Church where her children find refuge.

While you won't find one single "verse" in the Bible that says the exact words "Our Mother the Holy Church," the Church teaches that Galatians 4:26 ("but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all") refers specifically to the Holy Church. This is the scriptural heart of why we call her "Our Mother."