St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church in Colleyville, Texas is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in the Diocese of the Southern United States under the auspices of H.G. Bishop Youssef. Our mission is to bring the rich history of the Coptic church into an ever-changing and diverse American culture. We strive to provide a place of worship to people of all languages and backgrounds while observing the sacraments and ancient traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
The Coptic Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 61 A.D. The church adheres to the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius (296-373 A.D.), the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Church effectively defended the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Divinity at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title; “Father of Orthodoxy” and St. Athanasius “the Apostolic”.
The term “Coptic” is derived from the Greek “Aigyptos” meaning “Egyptian”. When the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century, they called the Egyptians “qibt”. Thus the Arabic word “qibt” came to mean both “Egyptians” and “Christians”.
The term “Orthodoxy,” meaning “true teaching” (literally “straight doctrine”) and “true worship” (literally “straight glory”), refers to the preservation of the “Original Faith” by the Copts who, throughout the ages, defended the Old Creed against the numerous attacks aimed at it.