About Diocese of El Paso
The Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving far West Texas, established on March 3, 1914 by Pope Pius X. Its 26,686 square miles cover ten counties (El Paso, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward and Winkler) and a Catholic population of roughly 668,000 across 56 parishes, 18 missions, and a network of schools and migrant ministries. The mother church is St. Patrick's Cathedral in El Paso, and the diocese is a suffragan see in the Ecclesiastical Province of San Antonio. It is currently led by its sixth bishop, Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, and is one of the most prominent borderland Catholic jurisdictions in the United States.
- Bishop
- Mark J. Seitz
- Established
- 1914
- Cathedral
- St. Patrick's Cathedral, 1118 N. Mesa St., El Paso, TX 79902
- Territory
- Ten counties in far West Texas: El Paso, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward and Winkler (26,686 square miles).
- Parishes
- 56 parishes, 18 missions
- Province
- Archdiocese of San Antonio (Ecclesiastical Province of San Antonio); metropolitan Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, M.Sp.S.
About the Diocese of El Paso
The Diocese of El Paso covers 26,686 square miles of far West Texas and serves a Catholic population of roughly 668,000 across ten counties: El Paso, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward and Winkler. Its mother church is St. Patrick's Cathedral in El Paso (1118 N. Mesa Street), and it is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. The diocese is composed of 56 parishes, 18 missions and a network of 17 ministries including Catholic schools, Catholic Charities, migrant and refugee services, and the Tepeyac Institute. The diocesan offices are at 499 St. Matthews Street, El Paso, TX 79907, and the central office phone is (915) 872-8400. Bishop Mark J. Seitz is the sixth bishop of El Paso and an internationally recognized voice on immigration and border ministry.
- Established March 3, 1914 by Pope St. Pius X
- Suffragan of the Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Patron of the cathedral and diocese: Saint Patrick
- Sixth bishop: Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, D.D. (since 2013)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Most Reverend Anthony C. Celino, D.D., J.C.L.
History
Catholicism in the El Paso Valley dates to 1682, when Franciscans founded Mission Corpus Christi de Ysleta del Sur and Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Socorro. The Presidio Chapel of San Elzeario followed in the 1770s — all three remain active parishes. After the Mexican Revolution of 1910–20, Bishop Schuler's diocese sheltered thousands of Mexican refugees and ordained the future martyr St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero. Major territorial changes came in 1926 (erection of Amarillo), 1961 (erection of San Angelo), 1969 (Chamizal boundary adjustment with the Archdiocese of Ciudad Juárez) and 1982 (erection of Las Cruces from the New Mexico counties).
- 1682 — First Ysleta and Socorro missions founded
- 1752 — San Elizario Presidio and chapel established
- March 3, 1914 — Diocese erected by Pope Pius X
- 1926 — Diocese of Amarillo erected (loss of NE counties)
- 1961 — Diocese of San Angelo erected (eastern counties lost)
- 1969 — Chamizal boundary adjustment with Ciudad Juárez
- 1982 — Diocese of Las Cruces erected; diocese reduced to West Texas
St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, 1118 N. Mesa St., El Paso, TX 79902, is the mother church of the diocese. Constructed under Bishop Anthony J. Schuler, S.J., it was named after a group of Irish-Catholic women were the first to raise $10,000 in the diocesan capital campaign — El Paso's mining boom had drawn many Irish immigrants. The cathedral displays a shrine to St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero, ordained within its walls in 1918 and martyred in Chihuahua in 1937, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.
- Weekend Masses: Sat Vigil 5:15 pm (English); Sun 7 & 11 am (English), 9 am & 1 pm (Spanish)
- Daily Mass: 7:00 am and 12:10 pm
- Confessions: Saturday 3:30 pm
- Rector: Very Rev. James Marcus McFadin, D.Min.
- Phone: (915) 533-4451
Parishes and Missions
The diocese currently lists 56 parishes and 18 missions across El Paso County and the nine rural counties. Parishes include St. Patrick Cathedral, All Saints, Blessed Sacrament, Christ the Savior, Corpus Christi, Cristo Rey, Guardian Angel, Holy Family, Immaculate Conception, and many more; missions include El Buen Pastor, San José de la Isla, and others in Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward and Winkler counties.
- Parish finder and Mass times available at elpasodiocese.org/parishes
- Confession and Adoration schedules published parish by parish
- Several parishes offer bilingual and Spanish-only Masses
- Multiple parishes stream Mass via Facebook Live or parish portals
Bishop Mark J. Seitz, D.D.
The Most Reverend Mark Joseph Seitz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 10, 1954, the eldest of ten siblings. Educated at the University of Dallas, Saint John's University (Collegeville, Minnesota), Notre Dame and Duquesne, he was ordained for the Diocese of Dallas on May 17, 1980. After years in parish ministry and on the faculty at the University of Dallas, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas on March 11, 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, and on May 6, 2013 Pope Francis appointed him the sixth Bishop of El Paso. He was installed at a two-hour Mass on July 9, 2013 concelebrated by more than 20 bishops and over 100 priests before approximately 4,000 people.
- Motto: 'Paratum cor meum' (My heart is ready)
- Led national pastoral response on racism and immigration
- Personally escorted asylum seekers at Paso del Norte Bridge (June 2019)
- Issued pastoral letter on racism after August 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting
- Met Pope Francis with Texas bishops in February 2020; brought 50 blessed rosaries for Walmart shooting survivors
Auxiliary Bishop Anthony C. Celino, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop Anthony C. Celino serves as the diocese's auxiliary bishop, assisting Bishop Seitz with pastoral governance, confirmations and liturgical celebrations throughout West Texas.
- Listed as auxiliary on diocesan directory
- Often delegates confirmations and parish visitations
El Paso Catholic Schools
The diocese operates nine Catholic schools across West Texas under the Office of Catholic Schools (Central Administration Office, 499 St. Matthews, Building G, El Paso, TX 79907; (915) 872-8426). The system includes six parochial elementary schools, two private elementary schools, and three secondary schools (one diocesan, two private). Curriculum integrates religious formation with a high-quality classical and contemporary academic program; principals are listed individually on the diocese's school pages.
- Most Holy Trinity Catholic School (K–8, El Paso Eastside)
- St. Joseph Catholic School (K–8, Central El Paso)
- St. Matthew Catholic School (K–8, West El Paso)
- St. Patrick Catholic School (K–8, near the cathedral)
- St. Pius X Catholic School (K–8, South Central)
- St. Raphael Catholic School (K–8, Eastside)
- Loretto Elementary School and Loretto Academy (Sisters of Loretto)
- Father Yermo Elementary and Father Yermo Catholic High School (Sisters of St. Joseph of the Pelayo)
- Cathedral High School (diocesan, founded under the Christian Brothers)
Migrant and Refugee Ministry (La Estrella / Hope Border Institute)
The diocese's migrant ministry dates to the Mexican Revolution and remains one of the largest Catholic border-ministry programs in the United States. The diocese operates La Estrella del Paso (formerly Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, DMRS) and partners with the Hope Border Institute, a diocesan-affiliated justice organization. Bishop Seitz has repeatedly led public acts of accompaniment, including escorting asylum seekers to the Paso del Norte International Bridge and challenging the militarization of the border.
- Counseling Services
- Migrant Hospitality Ministry (MHM)
- La Estrella del Paso
- Hope Border Institute (advocacy)
- Annunciation House (incarnational shelter for migrants; supported by the diocese)
Mount Cristo Rey and Mount Cristo Rey Shrine
Mount Cristo Rey, in Sunland Park, New Mexico just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, rises 815 feet above the surrounding valley. Bishop A. J. Schuler approved Father Lourdes Costa's vision in 1933, and Catalan sculptor Urbici Soler carved the 29-foot limestone statue of Christ the King on the summit. The completed shrine was dedicated on October 29, 1940 in a Mass attended by the Apostolic Delegate to Mexico. An annual October pilgrimage draws tens of thousands; a 1991 lightning strike damaged the statue and was restored by volunteers within months.
- Annual Feast of Christ the King pilgrimage and Mass in October
- Viva Cristo Rey! proclaimed from the summit
- Stations of the Cross line the trail to the top
- Restoration completed by volunteers after 1991 lightning damage
Tepeyac Institute and Lay Formation
Founded by Bishop Raymundo Peña in 1988, the Tepeyac Institute of the Diocese of El Paso is a lay formation program that prepares Hispanic and bilingual laity for ministry in parishes, schools and diocesan agencies. It remains one of the longest-running diocesan lay formation institutes on the U.S.–Mexico border.
- Founded 1988
- Bilingual formation tracks
- Certificates in pastoral ministry and catechesis
Catholic Properties and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery
The diocese's Catholic Properties office manages parish and chancery real estate, while Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery is the principal diocesan Catholic cemetery serving El Paso. The cemetery operates under Catholic Property rules regarding Catholic burial and funeral rites.
- Catholic Properties: facility and parish real estate
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery: Catholic burial ground
Mass Times, Confession and Adoration
Parishes across the diocese publish weekly Mass schedules in English and Spanish, with many parishes offering at least one bilingual Mass each weekend. Confessions are most commonly offered Saturday afternoons; adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered in multiple parishes, including weekly Holy Hours (Blessed Sacrament parish) and First Friday adorations (Christ the Savior).
- St. Patrick Cathedral: Sat 5:15 pm (English); Sun 7, 11 am (English), 9 am, 1 pm (Spanish); Daily 7:00 am & 12:10 pm
- Blessed Sacrament: Holy Hour every Friday 5–8 pm; adoration and confession Sat 2–4 pm
- Christ the Savior: Adoration First Friday 2:30 pm and Second Thursday 2:30 pm
- Cathedral confessions: Saturday at 3:30 pm
- Cathedral Campus Ministry: Sun 6:30 pm bilingual Mass during fall and spring semesters
Diocesan Media and Communications
The diocese maintains an active news and communication network through its official website, social media channels and the diocesan newspaper. Major announcements, the Bishop's pastoral letters, parish Mass-time changes, and event coverage are published online.
- Official website: elpasodiocese.org
- Diocesan Facebook page
- Diocesan Instagram page
- Diocesan YouTube channel
- Pastoral letters from Bishop Seitz on immigration and racism
