About Assumption · Houston, Texas
Assumption Catholic Church (Iglesia de la Asunción) is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in the Northside/Northeast Houston neighborhood of Aldine, Texas, on the corner of Airline Drive and East Little York Road near I-45 North. Founded in 1948 by immigrants from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy, the parish grew from a European-rooted immigrant church into a predominantly Hispanic community, with Hispanics now representing around 80% of the 4,150+ registered families. For roughly 35 years the parish has been entrusted to the Somascan Fathers (C.R.S.), a religious congregation founded in 16th-century Italy by St. Jerome Emiliani to serve orphans and abandoned youth. The parish also operates Assumption Catholic School (Pre-K 3 through 8th grade) on the adjoining Roselane campus.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Osas Onaiwu, C.R.S.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
Assumption is a parish where longtime Houston families and newly arrived immigrants worship side by side, with Sunday Mass offered in equal measure in English and Spanish and ministries spanning every stage of life — from a Pre-K–8 Catholic school, faith formation (CCE), and RCIA, to the Harvest Years seniors' fellowship, parish school athletics, quinceañeras, weddings, and baptisms celebrated in both languages. Stewarded by the Somascan Fathers (C.R.S.), a religious community whose 16th-century founder St. Jerome Emiliani devoted himself to orphans and the poor, the parish keeps a special focus on the most needy and vulnerable in northeast Houston. With more than 4,150 registered families and an active Pastoral Council meeting monthly, parishioners find a large, organized, bilingual Catholic home grounded in the Eucharist, the sacraments, and service to children and families.
Mass times at Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday / Miércoles: 6:45–7:45 PM
- Saturday / Sábado: 4:00–5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday mornings: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Hour Devotions and Prayers follow the 8:00 AM Mass (as observed by the Harvest Years seniors group)
Welcome and Parish Identity
The parish homepage greets visitors in both English and Spanish and frames Assumption as a bilingual, immigrant-rooted Catholic community with a long history of service to the most needy and vulnerable. The pastor's letter emphasizes that, while the parish was founded by European immigrants, Hispanics from Mexico and Central America now make up roughly 80% of the congregation, and that Masses, weddings, quinceañeras, and baptisms are celebrated in equal number in English and Spanish.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in northeast Houston
- Founded by immigrants from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy
- Approximately 80% Hispanic parish population today
- More than 4,150 registered families
History of the Parish
Assumption was founded in 1948 on Houston's northeast side to serve Polish, German, Czech, and Italian immigrant families in the Airline Drive / Little York area. The parish was entrusted to the Somascan Fathers around 1989, and the congregation's charism of serving orphans and abandoned youth — embodied in Assumption Catholic School — became a defining feature. A major church renovation in the 2010s included new tile, pews, kneelers, lighting, stained-glass restoration, and a renovated sacristy, with the parish gathering in the parish gym for liturgy during the work; Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza celebrated the Mass of Re-Inauguration on August 17 with then-pastor Fr. Albert Zanatta, C.R.S.
- Founded 1948
- Somascan Fathers (C.R.S.) entrusted with parish since ~1989
- Major church renovation completed in the 2010s
- Re-Inauguration Mass celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza
The Somascan Fathers (C.R.S.)
The Somascan Fathers — Clerics Regular of Somasca — are the religious congregation that has staffed Assumption for approximately 35 years. They were founded in 1535 in the village of Somasca in northern Italy by St. Jerome Emiliani, a Venetian layman-turned-educator who dedicated his life to orphans and abandoned children. Approved by Pope St. Pius V in 1568, the order today numbers about 500 priests working in roughly 20 countries, with a special charism toward orphans, at-risk youth, treatment centers, and schools. The Somascans came to Houston in 1989 and staff both Assumption Catholic Church and Christ the King Church in the Archdiocese, along with a vocation/formation program.
- Founded 1535 by St. Jerome Emiliani in Somasca, Italy
- Approved by Pope St. Pius V in 1568
- St. Jerome Emiliani proclaimed Universal Patron of Orphans and Abandoned Youth in 1928
- In Houston since 1989 — at Assumption, Christ the King, and in vocation/formation ministry
Devotions and Devotional Life
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, the parish fosters Eucharistic devotion through Thursday-morning Adoration and Holy Hour following the 8:00 AM Mass, and is well known across the Archdiocese for its large living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday each year.
- Thursday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Holy Hour Devotions after 8:00 AM Mass
- Annual Good Friday living Stations of the Cross
Sacraments
Assumption celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments in both English and Spanish — baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and funeral Masses. Preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) is provided through the parish's CCE (Continuing Catholic Education) program, and adults seeking initiation enter through RCIA, also offered in both languages.
- Baptisms, Weddings, Quinceañeras — English and Spanish
- First Holy Communion and Confirmation preparation via CCE
- RCIA for adults and children in English and Spanish
- Confession — Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons
- Anointing of the Sick and Funeral Masses
Faith Formation — Growing in Faith
The parish's 'Growing in Faith' office coordinates Christian formation for all ages, with a stated mission of helping the faithful grow in Christian maturity through Bible study, basic formation, and catechist training. The office draws on formation programs offered by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston's Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.
- CCE (Continuing Catholic Education) for children — coordinated by Deacon Mario Ortega
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Confirmation preparation
- Formation for Christian Ministry (FPMC)
- Catechist Modules
- Bible Study
Assumption Catholic School
The parish operates Assumption Catholic School on the adjoining campus at 801 Roselane, a Pre-K 3 through 8th-grade school in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and one of its eight Christ's Reflection of Service Schools (C.R.O.S.S.) Academies. The school carries forward the Somascan founder's tradition of attention to children, focusing on the spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, cultural, and physical development of every student, with a special academic emphasis on S.T.R.E.A.M. education.
- Address: 801 Roselane, Houston, TX 77037
- Phone: (281) 447-2132
- Website: www.houstonassumption.org
- Principal: Lonnie Burgett
- Grades: Pre-K 3 through 8
- C.R.O.S.S. Academy of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- S.T.R.E.A.M. academic focus; interscholastic athletics; National Junior Honor Society
Parish Ministries and Groups
Assumption runs an active lay ministry program that supports every Mass celebrated at the parish, in both English and Spanish. Liturgical ministries include Altar Servers, Lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Fellowship and outreach ministries include the long-running Harvest Years seniors' group, the Ministerio de Cristo Uniendo Familias (Senior's Prayer), and a Parish Council that meets monthly to guide the parish's life and mission.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors (English and Spanish)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Harvest Years (50+ seniors fellowship)
- Ministerio de Cristo Uniendo Familias — Senior's Prayer
- Pastoral Council (monthly meetings)
Harvest Years (50+ Seniors Fellowship)
Harvest Years is the parish's ministry to adults aged 50 and older. Its stated purpose is the cultivation of friendship, the development of mutual interests, the sharing of spiritual and social projects, and mutual caring. Official meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of each month (except June, July, and August), beginning with a potluck luncheon followed by socializing and games such as bingo, dominoes, or cards.
- Open to adults 50+ — no dues
- Meets 3rd Sunday of each month (Sept–May)
- Monthly 8:00 AM Thursday Mass and Eucharistic Adoration
- Group Mass on the 1st Sunday of each month at 9:00 AM
- Supports survivors at wakes, funeral Masses, and memorial luncheons
- Fundraising (e.g., bake sales), seminars, and day trips
Parish Staff and Administration
The parish is led pastorally by the Somascan Fathers and is supported by a lay administrative team in the parish office, a separate sacramental records secretary, a religious education secretary, and the school principal. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Fr. Osas Onaiwu, C.R.S. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Fr. Giulio Veronesi, C.R.S. — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Raju Vadicharla, C.R.S. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mario Ortega — CCE Coordinator
- Maribel Guevara — Office Manager
- Andrea Aviles — Bookkeeper
- Silvia Amaro — Religious Education Secretary
- Sacraments Secretary
- Lonnie Burgett — Principal, Assumption Catholic School
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Albert Zanatta, C.R.S.Long-serving pastor through at least the 2010s renovation (re-inaugurated the renovated church on Aug. 17 with Archbishop Fiorenza).
Somascan Father; shepherded the parish through its major church renovation and was present at the Re-Inauguration Mass.
- Rev. Anthony Osas Onaiwu, C.R.S.Interim Administrator effective Oct. 10, 2023; appointed Pastor effective April 6, 2024.
Also listed in Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston pastoral appointments; current pastor per the parish website.