What) In 1985, a handful of Coptic families in North Texas established St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church in Colleyville, Texas. By the late 90's, St. Mary's had reached capacity, and it was determined that the time was right to build another Coptic Orthodox church in North Texas. This church would be named after St. Philopateer Mercurius, a 3rd century soldier who was martyred for his faith. The city of Richardson was chosen as the site for this new church in order to accommodate the growing population of Copts in the suburbs of Dallas.
Bishop Youssef, blessed the land at 1450 East Campbell Road in 1996 and laid the church's cornerstone in 1997. The congregation received a great blessing in July 2001 with the relocation and arrival of St. Philopateer's relics to the church. However, both construction and financial complications prevented the immediate completion of the initial plans of the church. With the Lord's blessing, construction resumed in the fall of 2009 on the larger sanctuary and new Sunday School facilities to accommodate the growing congregation. The project was completed in the early summer of 2010 and on June 27, St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church's 300 families celebrated its consecration and first Divine Liturgy in the new sanctuary with His Grace Bishop Youssef. (1)
Where) 1450 East Campbell Road 1-972-669-2050
Why) If you
happen to be filling up your Jeep with gas at the Texaco on
the corner of East Campbell Road and North Plano Road then you
will probably notice the nearby dome of St. Philopateer
Church. If you also share my interest in unusual architecture then you
will find an excuse to walk over there and take some pictures.
I also enjoy looking at how the lines in the stucco align with the lines in the windows to form perfectly proportioned crosses all around.
