As the Greater Katy area grows more diverse, so does its houses of worship. The area’s first Hindu temple and a mosque both opened their doors in June.

In addition, Iglesia Faro de Luz, under construction at 4900 Greenhouse Road, will be a primarily Hispanic-serving Christian church that is expected to be complete by the end of this year, according to pastor Jose Recinos.

According to 2000 census data, approximately 29.9 percent of Greater Katy’s 302,705 residents identified as non-white in 2000. KAEDC anticipates the trend will continue through 2019, when minorities are projected to make up roughly 33 percent of Katy’s residents.

“I think [growth in diversity] has been a trend for years,” said Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack. “There’s no question about that.”

Diversity in Greater Katy[/caption]

The emergence of cultures has also led to more culturally specific businesses that ultimately benefit the economy, said KAEDC president Lance LaCour.

New houses of worship

Local Hindus opened the Center of Gayatri Conciousness, the first permanent Hindu temple in Katy, at 20914 Park Row Drive on June 26.

Hundreds of people gathered for the opening ceremony, which was filled with prayer, music and a short walk symbolizing a religious journey.

“We want to unite not just the Hindu community, but the entire community,” said O.P. Sharma, one of a handful of Hindus who traveled from  Shantikunj, the organization’s ashram in India, to organize the opening ceremony.

The 4,200-square-foot temple is housed in a former warehouse, which cost the religious group more than $600,000 to renovate. Local Hindu residents funded it with donations and a bank loan, said Jayani Parikh, temple communications director.

“There [are] a lot of Hindu temples in Houston, but Katy [did not] have any,” Parikh said. “Now people don’t have to go far away to pray and take part in a religious organization.”

The temple is open, but it will not be completed until Fiberglas decorations are delivered from India to place in front of the building. Parikh said the temple should be complete in three months.

At 1800 Baker Road, local Muslims celebrated the construction of the largest permanent mosque in the Greater Katy area  June 13.

“As our community grows, the need for something permanent comes up,” said Ahmed El-Shenawy, Muslim-American Society-Katy center manager.

The 20,000-square-foot masjid, which will serve about a thousand people each week, took two years to complete. Initially people within the Katy community expressed concerns about MAS-Katy, but relations have improved since then, El-Shenawy said.

“[Some Katy area residents] thought we would be closing the gates on ourselves and not interact with anyone,” El-Shenawy said. “We’re here to be a part of this community and a part of Katy.”

To help improve relations with the Greater Katy community, MAS-Katy puts together outreach events so people can learn more about them, El- Shenawy said.

After its Eid al-Fitr festival July 17 marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the mosque is planning an outreach dinner with people from all faiths, El-Shenawy said. An expanded community center is also planned.

“[The community center] can also be used for big functions,” he said. “Our intention is not just to have it for Muslims. We want our neighbors to use it too. The doors will be open for anyone to stop by and enjoy the facilities.”

A subsequent phase includes a new two-story Islamic school. Neither project has a completion date, El-Shenawy said.

As the community changes, houses of worship follow suit to meet the needs of the population.

Recinos, the Iglesia Faro de Luz pastor, has lived in Houston since 2006. He said he wanted to build a church for Spanish-speaking residents  in the Katy area because of its growth.

“[Katy] is growing in all aspects, and I believe it was a good place for a church and for the Hispanic community moving into the area,” Recinos said.

Business diversity

To promote the Center of Gayatri Conciousness, Parikh said she turned to the Indian supermarkets around Katy.

“We would pass out fliers there on the weekend and everybody was very receptive,” Parikh said. “They’ve wanted something like this to come to Katy.”

Culturally specific supermarkets in Greater Katy are one way to trace the rise in diversity, Parikh said.

“I live in Cinco Ranch, and everywhere we go we see a diverse community,” Parikh said.

Within a 2-mile stretch on South Mason Road, several stores provide groceries from different regions, such as India, the Middle East, Africa and Central America.

“We import 90 percent of our groceries from India and 10 percent from other places, like Britain and Bangladesh,” said KT Bombay & Bazaar owner Narayan Chaudhari.

Ethnic grocery stores do not just serve customers within their culture, Chaudhari said.

“European, British and American people come here too,” Chaudhari said. “That’s why I enjoy this community.”

“It creates a positive effect on the community as a whole,” LaCour said. “The more diverse Katy becomes, the more foreign companies consider Katy as a place to locate their business.”