 The Rev'd Canon Craig P. Merkel Founding Rector, 1993-2010 |
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The Rev'd Canon Craig P. Merkel Founding Rector, 1993-2010 |
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Saint Stephen's Anglican Catholic Church traces its origins back to January 31, 1993, when a group of 28 dedicated people met in the back of Father Craig Merkel's house and held their first Mass. Father Craig Merkel, S.T.L., was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in June 1992 by Archbishop Stephen Clark and the late Archbishop Robert Kennaugh of The Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite Jurisdiction of the Americas. After serving as an assistant at St. Francis of Assisi in Richardson Texas, Bishop Clark asked Father Merkel to start a church in the North Dallas area. Father Merkel hired some of the St. Francis Youth Group members to go door to door handing out flyers announcing the new church coming to north Dallas. By the end of December 1992, Father Merkel had a core congregation and so on January 31, 1993, they held their first Mass. In addition to his duties as the parish priest for St. Stephen's Father Merkel was also Dean of the Anglican Seminary of St. Bede, a Diocesan Seminary.
The new church was thriving and very early on realized that it needed a new home. The Vestry of the young St. Stephen's began to look for a place to rent. In May 1993 they located a business park in Richardson, Texas that had some office space available. They were able to enter into a lease agreement with the owner, and the church has been at this location ever since. St. Stephen's is fortunate to have a beautiful setting, with the Sanctuary opening up to a tree lined creek bed.
There was an unfortunate turn of events in March 1994 when "church politics" arose after an ill-fated merger of the Anglican Rite Jurisdiction of the Americas and the American Anglican Church. St. Stephen's clergy and parishioners wanted to be able to focus on their faith, so the decision was made to seek affiliation with another Orthodox Jurisdiction; one with a history of stability and focus on protecting Anglican traditions and Catholic order. Father Merkel spent many hours researching other Catholic bodies concerned for the welfare of St. Stephen's and the souls that he was charged with. He met with several Orthodox Church leaders including the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Anglican Catholic Church. Bishop Stephens of the Anglican Catholic Church was the shepherd that they had been looking for. The Anglican Catholic Church was a well established church with United States Government recognition; they had several active Military Chaplains. The Anglican Catholic Church is also a worldwide church with valid Apostolic lines, orthodox theology and doctrine. Bishop Stephens accepted St. Stephen's under his Episcopal oversight in March 1994. After an exhaustive interview by the Board of and Bishop Stephens, St. Stephen's clergy were accepted into the ACC in full Holy Orders, and the parish formally became a part of the Anglican Catholic Church.
Under Father Merkel's steady guidance, St. Stephen's continued to grow over the years, and in addition to its basic ministries, the church became active in community outreach through "Network for Community Ministries", as well as Father Merkel's service as a chaplain with the Dallas Police department and the Civil Air Patrol.
In April of 2006, the parish paid off the mortgage on the church, which was subsequently consecrated by Bishop William McClean, Jr. This great milestone was reached only through the ongoing efforts of Canon Merkel to keep the church strong and vibrant, and also focusing on owning its building. This kind of forward-looking effort was continued when the opportunity arose to purchase another unit within the business park. The church building itself was short on space for parish social functions such as parties and dinners, so expansion was both necessary and desirable. The subsequent purchase of what has become the St. Stephen's Parish Life Center has provided the necessary facilities to allow many activities organized by Father Merkel (now "Canon" Merkel, having been given that honorific by Bishop McClean).
St. Stephen's lost its founding rector when, after a long struggle with leukemia and cancer, Canon Merkel passed away in March of 2010. Even at his funeral, Canon Merkel's enduring efforts and dedication to others were very much in evidence; in consideration of his position as head chaplain and his many years of service, the Dallas Police Department Honor Guard was present and provided full honors for the funeral and burial.
Today, St. Stephen's is a vital and active parish in the Anglican Catholic Church and represents the presence of the ACC in the North Texas area. St. Stephen's continues to see positive growth and expects it to continue as people search for an orthodox expression of their faith. It is with great joy, then, that we share the following statement of our beliefs and Apostolic history.
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you can call the church offices at (972) 669-1928. (Please leave us a message if no one is available.) |
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