About Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart · San Angelo, Texas
The Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, serving as the seat (cathedra) of the bishop of West Texas. Founded as the parish of Immaculate Conception in 1884, the parish was renamed Sacred Heart in 1906 and was designated the cathedral church when Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of San Angelo in 1961. The present modernist sanctuary, designed by noted San Antonio church architect Henry Steinbomer and consecrated on December 21, 1964, is built of rose brick and features a striking 'Tree of Life' tile mosaic on its façade by Publio Cavallini. Located at 20 E. Beauregard Avenue in downtown San Angelo, the cathedral offers Mass in both English and Spanish and serves a diverse congregation spanning generations and ethnic communities of West Texas.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Larry Droll (Rector)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the spiritual and administrative heart of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, drawing a multicultural worshipping community that has prayed together in English and Spanish since the parish's founding in 1884. Worshippers can attend daily Mass at 12:10 p.m., a Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday Masses in English at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and in Spanish at noon, with adoration on Thursday evenings and First Fridays, regular Reconciliation five days a week, a parish school of religion, OCIA (formerly RCIA), youth ministry, a cathedral choir and Schola Cantorum children's choir, and outreach to the homebound through the deacons. Sitting beneath the Cavallini 'Tree of Life' mosaic and rose-brick walls designed by one of Texas's most prolific church architects, parishioners belong to a parish with deep roots in West Texas and a clear mission to be 'a place to believe, belong, and become.'
Mass times at Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Friday: 11:45 AM – 12:05 PM
- Saturday: 2:30 PM – 3:40 PM
- Thursday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (English; Spanish on 2nd & 4th Thursdays)
- First Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- First Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
About the Cathedral Parish
The Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart is the seat (cathedra) of the Bishop of San Angelo and the mother church of all Catholic parishes across the Diocese of San Angelo, which covers the West Texas region. Founded in 1884 as the parish of Immaculate Conception — and renamed Sacred Heart in 1906 — the parish was designated the cathedral of the diocese in 1961, when Pope John XXIII erected the new diocese. The present rose-brick modernist cathedral was designed by Henry J. Steinbomer and consecrated on December 21, 1964. Today the cathedral serves a diverse, multilingual Catholic community through daily and Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, year-round Reconciliation, adoration, complete faith formation, and outreach to the homebound.
- Seat of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo since 1961
- Mother church of Catholic parishes in West Texas
- Daily Mass Monday–Friday at 12:10 PM
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM; Sunday 10:00 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish), 6:00 PM (English)
History
Modern Catholicism in San Angelo began with the 1867 founding of Fort Concho. French missionary Father Mathurin J. Pairier began traveling here from his parish in 1874 to serve Catholics at the fort and in the nearby communities of Ben Ficklin and Santa Angela. On September 22, 1874, he accepted the donation of a city block — 'The Catholic Block' — from Bart J. DeWitt, the land on which the cathedral still stands. After the county seat moved to San Angelo in 1882, Pairier drew up plans for a permanent church; the stone Immaculate Conception church was completed in 1884, making Pairier the parish's first resident pastor. Father John Sheehan, the second pastor, welcomed the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word from San Antonio in 1888, who opened a parochial school. Under Father Joseph Hoban around 1906, a new red-brick church designed by Oscar Ruffini replaced the original structure; this was the church first called Sacred Heart. On October 16, 1961, Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of San Angelo and named Sacred Heart the cathedral church. The new modernist building was consecrated December 21, 1964, by the diocese's first bishop, the Most Rev. Thomas J. Drury.
- 1874 – Father Mathurin J. Pairier accepts the 'Catholic Block' from Bart J. DeWitt
- 1884 – Immaculate Conception parish founded; Pairier becomes first resident pastor
- 1888 – Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word arrive; Catholic school begins
- 1906 – New red-brick Sacred Heart church (architect Oscar Ruffini) under Fr. Joseph Hoban
- 1961 – Diocese of San Angelo erected; Sacred Heart named cathedral
- 1964 – Modern cathedral by Steinbomer / Chakos & Zentner consecrated Dec. 21
Architecture & Sacred Art
The Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart is a Modern-style church in rose brick designed in 1961 by San Antonio architect Henry J. Steinbomer with associates Chakos and Zentner. Steinbomer (1902–1964) was the most prolific church architect in Texas during the 1940s and 1950s, designing more than 100 churches statewide. His composition at Sacred Heart — described by the Society of Architectural Historians as showing Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival traces within a Modernist envelope — pairs a slender bell tower with a Nordic-contemporary nave under a low-pitched gabled roof, all sheathed in distinctive rose brick. The façade is animated by a large exterior Tree of Life ceramic-tile mosaic executed by Publio Cavallini of Cavallini Tile Importers of San Antonio.
- Architect: Henry J. Steinbomer with Chakos and Zentner
- Style: Modern (with Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival echoes)
- Material: Rose brick
- Façade mosaic: 'Tree of Life' by Publio Cavallini (Cavallini Tile Importers, San Antonio)
- Slender bell tower and low-pitched gabled roof
Mass & Worship Schedule
The cathedral offers daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, alongside a robust schedule of Reconciliation, adoration, and First Friday devotions. Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 12:10 p.m.; the Saturday Vigil is at 4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses are at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in English, with a 12:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish.
- Mon–Fri: 12:10 PM (English)
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish), 6:00 PM (English)
Becoming Catholic & Religious Education (OCIA)
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) — the modern name for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — is directed by Deacon Steve Zimmerman and Teresa Zimmerman. The parish also offers a dedicated Parish School of Religion coordinated by CRE / Pastoral Associate Patricia Gonzales, with First Communion, Confirmation, and adult faith formation classes running through the year, supported by volunteer catechists.
- OCIA (RCIA) – Dcn. Steve & Teresa Zimmerman
- Religious Education / Parish School of Religion – Patricia Gonzales, CRE
- Baptism classes
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Adult education classes
- Retreats for OCIA and Confirmation candidates
Youth, Young Adults & Children
The cathedral maintains active youth, young-adult, and children's ministries. Quinton and Cameron Wilson serve as parish Youth Ministers, coordinating retreats, lock-ins, Bible studies, and other activities for middle- and high-school teens. A 'Becoming Catholic' track and a separate Young Adults ministry welcome college-aged parishioners and newcomers. Children ages 8–12 can audition for the cathedral's Schola Cantorum children's choir, a free one-week summer introduction to cathedral choir life.
- Youth Ministry – Quinton & Cameron Wilson
- Young Adults ministry
- Becoming Catholic (inquiry) track
- Schola Cantorum – children's choir (ages 8–12)
Music & Liturgy
Cathedral Music Ministries, under Director Frank Diaz, leads the parish's sacred music program. The Schola Cantorum provides a free one-week summer immersion into choir life for children ages 8 to 12, while adult cantors and the cathedral choir support the cathedral's full schedule of weekday and Sunday Masses, Solemn Vespers, and special liturgical celebrations.
- Cathedral Music Ministries – Frank Diaz, Director
- Cathedral Choir (adult cantors and choir)
- Schola Cantorum (children's choir, ages 8–12, free one-week summer program)
Outreach & Homebound Ministry
The cathedral continues the diocesan mission of being 'a place to believe, belong, and become,' reaching beyond its walls through the Homebound Ministry coordinated by Deacon Frankie Aguirre, who brings Communion, prayer, and the sacraments to parishioners who cannot attend Mass in person. The deacon corps — Dcn. Freddy Medina, Dcn. Michael Lopez, Dcn. Erick Morgado, and Dcn. Steve Zimmerman — serve the parish in preaching, teaching, baptisms, marriages, and funerals, doubling the clergy presence at the cathedral through the permanent diaconate first established by Bishop Stephen Leven in the 1970s.
- Homebound Ministry – Dcn. Frankie Aguirre
- Dcn. Freddy Medina
- Dcn. Michael Lopez
- Dcn. Erick Morgado
- Dcn. Steve Zimmerman
Clergy, Staff & Office
The cathedral is served by its Rector, Rev. Msgr. Larry Droll, with Rev. Paul Kodakarakaran as Priest in Residence and Rev. Lorenzo Hatch as Vicar, supported by four permanent deacons, the CRE / Pastoral Associate, directors of music, formation, and youth ministry, and a dedicated lay staff managing the parish office, books, facilities, and the cathedral plant. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the office is closed on Fridays and weekends.
- Rector: Rev. Msgr. Larry Droll
- Priest in Residence: Rev. Paul Kodakarakaran
- Vicar: Rev. Lorenzo Hatch
- Deacons: Dcn. Freddy Medina, Dcn. Michael Lopez, Dcn. Erick Morgado, Dcn. Steve Zimmerman
- Pastor of the Diocese: Bishop Michael Sis
- Parish office hours: Mon–Thu 9:30 AM–12:00 PM, 1:30 PM–4:00 PM
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
The cathedral offers the full range of Catholic sacraments — Baptism (infant and adult, with preparation classes), First Communion and Confirmation preparation through the Parish School of Religion, Holy Matrimony with diocesan preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral liturgies — as well as the blessing of Quinceañeras for the parish's Spanish-speaking families. Those seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church do so through the OCIA process directed by Deacon Steve and Teresa Zimmerman.
- Baptism
- First Communion & Confirmation
- Holy Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funerals
- Quinceañera blessings
- Reconciliation
- OCIA (becoming Catholic)
Visit, Find Us & Contact
The Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart is located at 20 E. Beauregard Avenue in downtown San Angelo, Texas 76903. Visitors can park on surrounding streets in the historic Catholic Block area and walk to the cathedral's main entrance, where a Texas Historical Commission marker offers a concise overview of the parish's 1884 founding, its 1888 parochial school, and its 1961 designation as the cathedral of the new Diocese of San Angelo. Mass times, confession times, parish news, staff contacts, and forms are available at sanangelocathedral.org, or by phone at (325) 658-6567, or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 20 E. Beauregard Ave, San Angelo, TX 76903
- Phone: (325) 658-6567
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://sanangelocathedral.org
- Diocese: https://sanangelodiocese.org
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SanAngeloCathedral
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Mathurin J. Pairier1874–1888; resident pastor from 1884
French-born missionary priest (c. 1822–1888) who first visited the area in 1874 to serve Catholics at Fort Concho, Ben Ficklin, and Santa Angela. Accepted the donation of 'The Catholic Block' from Bart J. DeWitt on September 22, 1874. Drawn up plans for the parish's first church (Immaculate Conception); became the parish's first resident pastor when the stone church was completed in 1884.
- Rev. John Sheehanfrom 1888 (second pastor)
Second pastor of the parish. In 1888, he welcomed the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word from San Antonio, who founded the parish's Catholic school.
- Rev. Joseph Hobanaround 1906 (as pastor)
Pastor under whom the 1906 red-brick Sacred Heart church was constructed (designed by architect Oscar Ruffini); part of the Catholic Block was sold during his pastorate to finance the new building.
- Rev. Msgr. Larry Drollcurrent (Rector)
Current Rector of the Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart per the Diocese of San Angelo priests directory and Wikipedia. Listed as active-duty-assigned Rector on the diocesan site.