About Christ the King (Cristo Rey) · Donna, Texas
Christ the King (Cristo Rey) is a small mission church of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Donna, Texas, serving the spiritual needs of the Colonia Nueva community in the Diocese of Brownsville. The mission sits about half a mile south of FM 493 in Colonia Nueva (ZIP 78537) and offers a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish, celebrated at 8:30 a.m. As a mission of St. Joseph Parish, Christ the King is shepherded by the Missionaries of the Holy Family (M.S.F.), the same religious community who staff the parent parish. Its ministry is rooted in bringing the Eucharist and the sacramental life of the Church to families in a rural colonia of the Rio Grande Valley.
- Patron
- Christ the King (Jesus Christ our King)
- Rector
- Rev. Franciscus Asisi Eka Yuantoro, M.S.F. (Fr. Eka) — pastor of St. Joseph Parish, which shepherds the Christ the King Mission
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Christ the King (Cristo Rey) is a small, Spanish-speaking mission community in the heart of Colonia Nueva, offering a single Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. that brings the Eucharist to families who might otherwise have to travel for worship. Because it is part of St. Joseph Parish in Donna, parishioners benefit from the pastoral care of the Missionaries of the Holy Family, the sacramental and formation programs offered through the parent parish (CCD, baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras), and the wider diocesan life of the Diocese of Brownsville. It is a welcoming place for anyone looking for an intimate, faith-centered community rooted in the Rio Grande Valley's Hispanic Catholic tradition.
Mass times at Christ the King (Cristo Rey)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment through the St. Joseph parish office: (956) 464-3331 (English confessions at St. Joseph are also held Saturdays 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)
About Christ the King (Cristo Rey) Mission
Christ the King (Cristo Rey) is a mission church in Colonia Nueva, on the outskirts of Donna, Texas. It belongs to the Diocese of Brownsville and is operated as a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Donna. The mission's principal purpose is to bring regular Sunday Mass and pastoral care to the families of Colonia Nueva, a rural colonia in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
- Type: Mission church
- Diocese: Brownsville
- Parent parish: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Donna
- Language of liturgy: Spanish
History and Connection to St. Joseph Parish
Christ the King Mission is an outgrowth of St. Joseph Parish in Donna, whose roots go back to the early 1900s. The original St. Joseph church was built by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and dedicated on June 18, 1916; a second church replaced it on November 12, 1922. St. Joseph became an independent parish in 1928 under Father James Smith, O.M.I., and was later shepherded by the Holy Family Fathers in the 1950s. As Donna's population spread into surrounding colonias, the parish established Christ the King so that the people of Colonia Nueva would have their own regular place of worship.
- 1916 — Original St. Joseph church dedicated (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate)
- 1922 — Second St. Joseph church built
- 1928 — St. Joseph becomes an independent parish under Fr. James Smith, O.M.I.
- 1950s — Parish placed under the Holy Family Fathers
- 1979 — A new St. Joseph church building replaces the aging structure
- Christ the King Mission established to serve Colonia Nueva
Clergy and Staff
Christ the King Mission is cared for by the clergy and staff of St. Joseph Parish. The parish is staffed by the Missionaries of the Holy Family (M.S.F.), with additional support from a permanent deacon and parish office staff.
- Rev. Franciscus Asisi Eka Yuantoro, M.S.F. (Fr. Eka) — Pastor
- Rev. Benoit F. Ramanandraibe, M.S.F. (Fr. Ben) — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Hugo DeLaCruz
- Diana Zuniga — Receptionist
- Martha Rocha — Secretary
Sacraments and Religious Education
All sacramental preparation for Christ the King parishioners is coordinated through St. Joseph Parish's office and CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program. The Director of Religious Education position was vacant as of the parish's last published staff listing.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Quinceañera, Anointing of the Sick — coordinated through St. Joseph Parish
- CCD / Religious Education — staffed through the parent parish
- Director of Religious Education — currently vacant
Visiting Christ the King
The mission is located in Colonia Nueva, about half a mile south of FM 493, and uses the same mailing contact as St. Joseph Parish in Donna. Parishioners and visitors can reach the mission's pastoral team through the parish office in Donna.
- Address: 1/2 Mile S. FM 493, Colonia Nueva, TX 78537
- Parish office phone: (956) 464-3331
- Parish office fax: (956) 464-6808
- Email: [email protected]
- Main church: 306 South D. Salinas Blvd., Donna, TX 78537