About Us
ARCHANGEL MICHAEL COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH
Fr. Abanoub Habeeb is the priest for Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church located in Bedford, TX. H.G. Bishop Youssef, with the presence of H.G. Bishop Serapion, ordained him priest on October 27, 2013. He began his service in St. Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Euless, Texas. Then in 2016, H.G. Bishop Youssef asked him to serve in Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church. Fr. Abanoub has been serving within the Diocese of the Southern United States since October 27, 2013. We pray that the Lord will continue blessing his service.
Address1717 Schumac Lane, Bedford, TX 76022
The Honored Archangel Michael
The Archangel Michael was with all the saints and martyrs. He strengthened them and enabled them to endure patiently until they finished their strife. Festivals of commemoration are held and alms offered in his name on the twelfth day of each Coptic month.An example of one of his wonders: A God-fearing man whose name was Dorotheus and his wife Theopista, held a festival of commemoration for the honored angel Michael on the twelfth day of each month. It happened that this righteous family fell on hard times and had nothing to celebrate with for the commemoration of the honored Michael. They took their clothes to sell so that they might have a feast. Michael the Archangel appeared to Dorotheus and commanded him not to sell his clothes, but to go to a sheep-master and to take from him a sheep worth one-third of a dinar. He was also to go to a fisherman and to take from him a fish worth one-third of a dinar but Dorotheus was not to slit open the fish until he came back to him. Finally, he was to go to a flour merchant and to take from him as much flour as he needed.Dorotheus did as the Angel commanded him. He invited the people, as was his custom, to the feast honoring the Archangel Michael. When he went into his storeroom looking for wine for the offering, he found that all the containers had been filled with wine and many other good things. He marvelled and was astonished.After they had finished the celebration and all the people had departed, the Archangel appeared to Dorotheus as before and commanded him to cut open the belly of the fish. He found 300 dinars of gold and three coins each is a third of a dinar. He told him these three coins were for the sheep, the fish and the flour, and the 300 dinars were for him and his children. God had remembered them and their oblations and had rewarded them here, in this world and in the kingdom of heaven on the last day. As Dorotheus and his wife were astonished at this matter, the Archangel Michael said to them, "I am Michael the Archangel who delivered you from all your tribulations and I have taken your oblations and alms up to God, you shall lack no good thing whatsoever in this world." They prostrated themselves before him and he disappeared and went up into heaven. This was one of the innumerable miracles of this honored Angel.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II is the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He was born in the name of “Wagih Subhi Baqi Sulyaman” on November 4th, 1952 in the city of Mansoura, Egypt. His father was an Irrigation Engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour.His Holiness received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health.His Holiness’s life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomiusof Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children’s festival as well when he was in charge of the children’s committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark on November 18th, 2012 at the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mark in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic Orthodox Church and was attended by many delegates of other Christian Churches.
Preacher of The Christian Faith in Africa
St. Mark was a native of the North Africa county of Libya. He was born in the city of Cyrene in Pentapolis, The western part of Libya, west of the border of Egypt. St. Mark was born of Jewish parents three years after the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. His original name was John and his surname was Mark : “And when he (Peter) came to himself ….., he (Peter) came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many gathered together praying” (acts 12:11-12); and ” Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark” (acts 15:37); “And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark” (Acts 12:25). St. Mark’s parents, Aristopolos his father and Mary his mother, migrated to Palestine shortly after the birth of St. Mark because of the Berber attacks on their town and property. They settled in Cana of Galilee not far from Jerusalem A few years later St. Mark’s father died and Peter Simon (St. Peter), who was married to a relative of St. Mark’s father took care of St. Mark and considered him a son: “The Church that is in Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you and so does Marcus (Mark) my son”; (1 Peter 5:13). Peter Simon saw to it that St. Mark got a good education. St. Mark studied law and the classics.Church Traditions state that Mary, St. Mark’s mother, was admirer of Jesus Christ and followed Him everywhere and that St. Mark was one of the attendants who served at the feast in Cana of Galilee at which Jesus Christ turned the waster into wine: “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee… and both Jesus and was called and his disciples, to the marriage… when the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, … This was the first miracle Jesus did…” (John 2:1-11)