Diocese of Brownsville

History of the Diocese of Brownsville

Faith in the Rio Grande Valley predates the diocese by centuries: the first Catholic mission in Texas, San Francisco de los Tejas, was founded in 1690 by Franciscan Father Damián Massanet. After Texas independence, Pope Gregory XVI erected the Prefecture Apostolic of Texas in 1839 and the Diocese of Galveston in 1847. Pope Pius IX created the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville in 1874, and in 1912 that vicariate became the Diocese of Corpus Christi under Father Paul Joseph Nussbaum. As the Valley's population swelled through the mid-twentieth century, petitions from the bishops of the Province of New Orleans led Pope Paul VI on July 10, 1965 to issue 'Ad Perpetuam Rei Memorian,' carving Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo and Starr counties out of Corpus Christi to form the present diocese — the ninth in Texas. The diocese celebrates its 50th anniversary with pride in its bilingual, bicultural Catholic heritage.

Bishops in Succession

Six bishops have shepherded the diocese since 1965. The current bishop, Daniel E. Flores, was installed at the Basilica of San Juan del Valle on February 2, 2010 — the third native Texan to hold the see. He succeeded Raymundo J. Peña (1995–2009), who in turn succeeded Enrique San Pedro, S.J. (1991–1994), John J. Fitzpatrick (1971–1991), Humberto S. Medeiros (1966–1970), and Adolph Marx (1965, who died within months of appointment). Medeiros later became a cardinal as Archbishop of Boston. The diocese's official Past Bishops page preserves biographical snapshots of each successor.

• Adolph Marx (1965)
• Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1966–1970) — later Cardinal, Archbishop of Boston
• John J. Fitzpatrick (1971–1991)
• Enrique San Pedro, S.J. (1991–1994)
• Raymundo Joseph Peña (1995–2009)
• Daniel E. Flores (2010–present)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in downtown Brownsville is the mother church of the diocese and the historic seat of the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville established in 1874. Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception (patronal feast December 8), its cathedral dedication anniversary is observed on June 12. The cathedral anchors the Diocese's pastoral center at 1910 E. Elizabeth Street, Brownsville.

• Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Brownsville
• Patronal feast: December 8
• Cathedral dedication anniversary: June 12

Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle — National Shrine

The basilica is the spiritual heart of the diocese and one of the most-visited Marian shrines in the United States, drawing well over a million pilgrims each year. The original chapel was established in 1920 in San Juan, Texas. The present Shrine was dedicated in 1954 under Bishop Mariano S. Garriga and rebuilt after the 1970 plane crash. The new church was dedicated on April 19, 1980 before an estimated 50,000 faithful, with Cardinal Medeiros among those present. Designated a National Shrine in 1998 and raised to the rank of Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II on June 12, 1999, it offers extensive bilingual ministries and sacraments.

• Founded as a chapel in 1920; shrine dedicated 1954
• 1970 light-aircraft crash — only pilot was killed
• Designated National Shrine: 1998
• Minor Basilica: 1999 (Pope John Paul II)
• Outdoor Stations of the Cross: 30 life-size bronze statues
• Pilgrims annually: 1,000,000+

Parishes and Missions

The Diocese of Brownsville administers 72 parishes and 7 missions across Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo and Starr counties — a territory that encompasses Brownsville, Harlingen, San Juan, McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Rio Grande City and smaller Valley communities. Every parish is bilingual or multilingual and the diocese notes roughly 86 parishes and 44 missions in its public summary statistics, reflecting the rapid multiplication of faith communities along the border.

• Cameroon County — cathedral city of Brownsville
• Hidalgo County — McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr
• Starr County — Rio Grande City
• Willacy County — smaller agricultural communities

Catholic Schools Office

The Catholic Schools Office in San Juan supervises ten Catholic schools in the diocese — seven elementary, one middle and two high schools — enrolling over 1,288 students. All schools are accredited every seven years through the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department, and academic performance is consistently above the national average on NWEA assessments. The diocese actively promotes the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, which provides publicly funded scholarships for Catholic school tuition.

• St. Mary's School, Brownsville — Early Childhood to Grade 6
• St. Anthony School, Harlingen — Early Childhood to Grade 5
• Oratory Academy, Pharr — PreK3 to Grade 8
• Our Lady of Sorrows School, McAllen — PreK3 to Grade 8
• St. Joseph School, Edinburg — Early Childhood to Grade 8
• Immaculate Conception School, Rio Grande City — PreK3 to Grade 8
• Guadalupe Regional Middle School, Brownsville — Grades 6–8
• St. Joseph Academy, Brownsville — Grades 7–12
• Juan Diego Academy, Mission — Grades 9–12
• Catholic Schools Office phone: (956) 784-5051

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (catholiccharitiesrgv.org) is the charitable arm of the diocese, serving the poor and vulnerable across the four-county region. Under the direction of Sister Norma Pimentel, RJM, the agency operates five major programs, including a Humanitarian Respite Center that has become a national model for welcoming newly arrived migrants, providing food, clothing, medical attention and legal referrals. Programs also include emergency assistance, homelessness prevention, counseling, and disaster relief.

• Humanitarian Respite Center
• Emergency Assistance Program
• Homelessness Prevention
• Counseling Program
• Disaster Relief Program
• Get Help / Volunteer / Donate pages on catholiccharitiesrgv.org

Diocesan Curia and Pastoral Center

The diocesan curia supports the bishop in administering the parishes, schools, charities and tribunals of the diocese. It is headquartered at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 1910 E. Elizabeth Street, Brownsville, TX. Departments include the Office of the Chancellor, the Vicar General, Catholic Schools, Catholic Charities, the Tribunal for marriage nullity cases, Communications, and Vocations.

• Catholic Pastoral Center — 1910 E. Elizabeth St., Brownsville
• Office of the Bishop and Vicar General
• Diocesan Tribunal
• Offices of Catholic Schools, Catholic Charities, Communications, Vocations