Church History:
The beginning of the Coptic immigrants to Dallas started with the arrival of Mr. Stanley Anis Moussa in Dallas in 1948. Mr. Moussa was one of the early settlers in Dallas area. In July 1970, the late Hegumen Bishoy Kamel (may God repose his soul) was invited to visit Dallas and he celebrated the first holy liturgy at Mr. Hosny Saleh’s house.
Hegumen Kyrillos visited Dallas and Celebrated the Liturgy. Mr. Nabih Tawadros (Hegumen Yohanna Tawadros of Queens, New York) was serving as a deacon at the time with Fr. Kyrillos.
Mr. Zaki Zaki (presently, Father Sarabamoun Zaki of St. Barabara Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo, Egypt) gathered few Coptic families who lived in Dallas around 1973 for prayer meetings. There were 8 families in the area and they met once a month. Fr. Moussa Wahba, who served St. Mark’s Church in Houston held a liturgy in Dallas for this group once a month, on Saturday morning. The church was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1976 by Mr. Nabih Moussa, and by the guidance of Hegumen Moussa Wahba’s, under the name of St. Mark’s C.O. Church of Dallas. Starting in 1974, the Holy Liturgy was celebrated every month at St. Seraphim Russian Orthodox Church of Dallas.
 In 1978, Fr. Marcos El-Askeety of St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church of Houston held a liturgy once a month in Dallas. When he met H.H. Pope Shenouda in 1979 during the Papal visit to the UK, the Pope asked the congregation to change the name of the Church from St. Mark’s to St. Mary’s Church. In 1981 the name of the Church was officially changed in the State of Texas to St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church of Dallas.
In 1983, Fr. Isaac Soliman started his service at St. Mark’s Church in Houston and used to hold a Saturday liturgy twice a month in Dallas. By that time, the church congregation in Dallas had grown to 30 families, and the church land was purchased in November 1984. The church building began July 12, 1985 and the first liturgy was held December 25, 1985.
 Fr. Metias El-Seryani became the first permanent priest, appointed by H.H. Pope Shenouda III on January 3, 1987 . During his tenure the church added two buildings, the rectory/visitors’ quarters building and the felloship hall building. Father Metias was chosen to become H.G. Bishop Metias of El-Mahala El- Kobra and moved to his new post in June 1989.
 Fr. Youstus El-Soryani was chosen by H.H. Pope Shenouda III to serve the church after the departure of Fr. Metias El-Seryani. During his tenure the church was blessed by the visit of H.H. the Pope III three times. The church icons project was completed and the Iconostasis was fabricated in Egypt and shipped and assembled in the Church. This gave the church a very distinct Coptic Orthodox appearance. Fr. Youstus El Seryani was then chosen to be ordained a bishop and he moved to his new post in Egypt in June 1992.
Fr. Sarabamoun Zaki arrived from Egypt to serve St. Mary’s Church soon after H.G. Bishop Youssef was elected the General Bishop of North America. Fr. Sarabamoun Zaki, after serving our church for only six months, had to return to his home church in Egypt. H.G. Bishop Youssef served our church until Fr. Beniamin Morgan was selected to serve as a permanent priest.
 Fr. Beniameen Morgan began serving St. Mary’s Church from September 1993 until August 1997. In December 1995, H.G. Bishop Youssef was enthroned as the Bishop of the newly created Diocese of the Southern United States. St. Mary’s Church in Dallas was established as the “Parish Seat of the Diocese” where his grace’s office is located.
As the congregation grew to more than 350 families under the guidance of H.G. Bishop Youssef, the church purchased a parcel of land in north east Dallas in the suburban city of Richardson, TX for a new Church location.
The new St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church building was completed in 1999. St. Philopateer Church serves the Coptic community in north and north east Dallas.
As the congregation continued to grow, and under the guidance of H.G. Bishop Youssef, a new church was purchased to serve the Coptic families in South west Dallas and in Fort Worth. The new church was named St. Abanoub and holds a congregation of about 130 families.
 We have witnessed our Lord Jesus Christ’s miraculous works upon a church which had started in 1976 with six families and has now grown into three churches serving the Coptic Community in Dallas/Fort Worth area.
It is worth mentioning that two of the monk priests who served the church have been ordained bishops while eight of its deacons were ordained priests and are now serving in various Churches in the USA. The bishops and priests are as follows:
1) H.G. Bishop Metias.
2) H.G. Bishop Youssef
• Nabih Tawadras (Hegumen Yohhanna of Queens, New York)
• Ramzy Zaky (Hegumen Sarabamon of St. Barbara Church, Old Cairo)
• Adham Boutros (Fr. Boutros of St. Mina Church, Nashville, TN)
• Nazmy R. Kalleeny (Fr. Shenouda of St. Mary Church, Orlando, FL.)
• Moheb Saleh (Fr. Moussa of St. George Church, Tampa, FL.)
• Safwat Eskander (Fr. Eleia of St. Mary Church, Atlanta, GA)
• Dr. Anis Khalil (Fr. Andrew of the Coptic Church of Kansas)
• Dr. Samir Bilatous (Fr. Yacoub of our Coptic Church in Chicago, IL)
• Ashraf Mikhail (Fr. Theophilus Mikhail, general priest and secretary to Southern Diocese) |
