History of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community

In 1996 a new Catholic parish in McKinney was established with word came that Fr. Greg Kelly (now Bishop Greg Kelly) had been assigned as pastor. Regular weekend Masses began on July 28, 1996 meeting in various MISD schools.  In December 1996  the community received its official name, St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community.

The permanent site for the parish was selected in October 1997 and construction of the Parish Center was completed in June 2001.  On June 24, 2001, the first Mass was celebrated at 110 St. Gabriel Way. During the following two years, paintings were added to the Sanctuary and Chapel; stained glass windows and artistic renderings of the Stations of the Cross were commissioned. During Lent 2004, sculptor John Collier designed and hung the original and iconic crucifix that now adorns our Daily Chapel.  In February 2005 construction began on the Community Center, which includes an official size gymnasium and a cafeteria.  A year later the rectory was relocated to a home within walking distance of the parish.                                                                                                     

Fr. Don Zeiler was welcomed as the second Pastor of St. Gabriel during the Masses on January 20, 2008.  Additionally, we have had several parochial vicars over the years, and the community has been asked to assist in the formation of several Seminarians during their pastoral year of formation in the crucial work of priestly ministry.

The parish exceeded 2000 families in 2007 and the need for more space became evident. The “Clearing the Ground” campaign was born to pay off the current parish debts on the land and buildings at an accelerated pace and to begin the accumulation of funds as well as to investigate the design of a permanent Worship Space.   Due to the generous stewardship of the St. Gabriel community, the debt on the parish rectory was retired in 2008 and the debt on the Community Center in 2010. In October 2011, during the 15th-anniversary celebration, the “Clearing the Ground” campaign was retired having raised over $1.7 million since its inception and the final loan payment was made. In 2012, “Laying the Foundation” became a reality as we began accumulating funds for the next phase of development: a permanent worship space.

The fundraising campaign, “Raising the Walls”, kicked off in the fall of 2013. With input from parishioners and the Executive Committee and guided by the vision of Fr. Don for the church to be a teaching and evangelizing tool, the drawings and plans for our Permanent Worship Space were designed.  The parish officially broke ground for the new sanctuary on May 15, 2016.
 
Our new church home is now a reality! We dedicated our church and altar on February 23, 2019. Our founding pastor, Bishop Greg Kelly celebrated the Mass, and it was a truly special moment for our parish.

  Take an online Church Tour Here.