About Corpus Christi · Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi Cathedral is the mother church (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, located at 505 North Upper Broadway in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas, overlooking Corpus Christi Bay. The parish traces its origins to 1853, when Father Bernard O'Reilly built the first Catholic church in the city — St. Patrick's — and became the cathedral church of the diocese upon its establishment on March 23, 1912. The present Spanish Colonial Revival cathedral was designed by Oklahoma architect C. L. Monnot, dedicated on July 17, 1940, and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (1991). It offers Mass in both English and Spanish, is known for its Christmas liturgies broadcast on KLUX radio and television, and is currently undergoing its most extensive renovation in decades ahead of a planned June 2026 reopening.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) / Feast of Corpus Christi
- Rector
- Very Rev. Pete Elizardo (Rector)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Corpus Christi Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, so it offers an unusually full sacramental and devotional life: multiple daily Masses in both English and Spanish, a televised/livestreamed Sunday Mass, scheduled confessions five days a week, Eucharistic adoration on solemnities, Stations of the Cross in Lent, and a high-quality music program under director Lee Gwozdz with six choirs, a handbell choir, and a Pontifical Chorale for adults. The parish has a strong RCIA and faith-formation program (K–12) directed by Nelissa Serna, a Knights of Columbus council (No. 2710), Guadalupanas, Spanish and English prayer groups, and outreach through Sacred Heart Church while the cathedral is being renovated — making it an ideal home for anyone seeking the historic, bilingual, liturgically rich center of Catholic life on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday 11:30 AM – 12:05 PM (Corpus Christi Cathedral, heard prior to 12:05 PM Mass)
- Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (Emmanuel Chapel)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM (Sacred Heart Church, during renovation period)
- First Fridays beginning June 5, 2026: Confessions follow 7:00 AM Mass in Emmanuel Chapel
- Friday beginning June 12, 2026: 5:00 PM – 5:50 PM at Sacred Heart Church (1322 Comanche St.)
- By appointment — contact the parish office (361-883-4213)
Adoration times
- Solemnity of the Anniversary of the Dedication (July 17): Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following the 12:05 PM Mass, concluding at 5:45 PM with Solemn Vespers and Benediction in Emmanuel Chapel
History of Corpus Christi Cathedral
The parish was founded in 1853 by Father Bernard O'Reilly as St. Patrick's Church — the first Catholic church in Corpus Christi, built on Tancahua Street on land donated by H. L. Kinney. When Pope St. Pius X erected the Diocese of Corpus Christi on March 23, 1912, St. Patrick's was named the cathedral. After fire damaged St. Patrick's in 1938, Bishop Emmanuel Ledvina led the drive to build an entirely new cathedral on the 'City Bluff' site at Upper Broadway and Lipan donated by the John G. Kenedy Jr. family. The new cathedral was dedicated on July 17, 1940, and at the request of Pope Pius XII was given the name Corpus Christi ('Body of Christ'). It was solemnly consecrated on September 19, 1952, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1991.
- 1853 — Fr. Bernard O'Reilly founds St. Patrick's Parish
- 1874 — Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville established
- 1912 — Diocese of Corpus Christi erected; St. Patrick's becomes cathedral
- 1913–1920 — Bishop Paul Nussbaum, first bishop
- 1921–1936 — Bishop Emmanuel B. Ledvina
- 1938 — Fire damages St. Patrick's
- 1939 — Ground broken for new cathedral (March 1)
- 1940 — Cornerstone laid (March 1); cathedral dedicated (July 17)
- 1949 — Bishop Mariano S. Garriga installed in new cathedral
- 1952 — Cathedral solemnly consecrated (September 19)
- 1965 — Bishop Thomas J. Drury arrives; Vatican II renovations begin
- 1988 — Blessed Sacrament Chapel added (designed by James G. Rome)
- 1991 — Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation
- 1997–2001 — Bell tower restoration under Msgr. Michael Howell
- 2025–2026 — Major interior renovation; cathedral closes May 2025
Architecture & Art
Designed by Oklahoma architect C. L. Monnot in the Spanish Colonial Revival idiom — a stylized interpretation of the early Spanish missions — the cathedral measures 176 feet long by 90 feet wide, with reinforced concrete and steel construction sheathed in stucco and roofed in red Spanish clay tile. Two asymmetrical bell-tower domes of glazed terra cotta crown the structure; the south tower holds a 32-bell carillon and four-faced clock, while the north holds the three bells of old St. Patrick's. The interior features gray Carthage veinless marble walls, heavy oak ceiling beams, cream Tavernelle Clair and verde antique marble wainscoting, a Saltillo-tiled narthex, Italian Carrara marble statues of St. Anthony and the Sorrowful Mother, Emil Frei stained-glass windows, and glass Stations of the Cross.
- Style: Spanish Colonial Revival / Spanish Mission
- Architect: C. L. Monnot of Oklahoma
- Length: 176 ft; Width: 90 ft; South tower 133 ft to cross; North tower 105 ft to cross
- Materials: reinforced concrete, structural steel, 18-inch brick, stucco, Spanish clay tile, Carthage marble, Tavernelle Clair marble, verde antique, Carrara marble
- Stained glass and Stations of the Cross by Emil Frei (St. Louis)
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel designed by historical architect James G. Rome (1988)
- Original cost: ~$425,000; original capacity 1,100; current capacity 2,000
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education classes (currently held at Corpus Christi Cathedral) provide catechetical instruction for children ages 3 through high school, with a two-year preparation for First Holy Communion (typically grade 2 or 3). Separate preparation tracks are offered for First Communion/First Penance, Confirmation, and High School Youth Ministry. Registration is $30 per student or $60 per family. Nelissa Serna serves as Director of Religious Education for the cathedral, with Mariza Rodriguez as Assistant Director. Adults prepare for full initiation through the parish's RCIA program.
- Religious Education K–8
- Confirmation Preparation
- First Communion & First Penance Preparation (two-year program)
- High School Youth Ministry
- RCIA for adults
- Director of Religious Education: Nelissa Serna; Assistant Director: Mariza Rodriguez
Music Ministry & Liturgy
Under Director of Music Ministry and organist Lee Gwozdz, the cathedral fields six choirs — including the Pontifical Chorale (the cathedral's adult choir), a Men's Schola Cantorum, a Cherub Choir (grades 1–3, directed by Assistant Director Nan Borden), a youth/children's choir (40 high-schoolers and 50 choristers), a handbell choir, and full adult choirs. Dr. Guadalupe Rivera Jr. conducts the choirs for Christmas. The music program is central to the cathedral's nationally known Christmas liturgies, including the televised Midnight Mass broadcast on KLUX HD Radio and KDF TV.
- Director/Organist: Lee Gwozdz
- Assistant Director: Nan Borden (Cherub Choir)
- Conductor: Dr. Guadalupe Rivera Jr.
- Pontifical Chorale — adult choir; auditions by appointment ([email protected])
- Men's Schola Cantorum — traditional Gregorian chant at Christmas Day Mass
- Bell choir, youth choir, orchestra of trumpets and harps for Midnight Mass
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The cathedral and its partner parish Sacred Heart support a wide range of lay ministries: liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans, ushers, greeters), formation and prayer (RCIA, Guadalupanas, Grupo de Oración, English Prayer Group), community life (Fellowship Committee, Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Offertory Counters, Flowers and Grounds, Arts and Environment), and service organizations (Knights of Columbus Council #2710).
- Knights of Columbus Council #2710 — Grand Knight Roland Flores (361-904-6971)
- Guadalupanas — rosary on the 12th of each month, 6:00 PM
- Grupo de Oración (Spanish) — Wednesdays 7:00 PM
- English Prayer Group — Thursdays 7:00 PM
- Altar Servers — boys and girls, grade 3+, after First Communion
- Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers, Sacristans, Ushers, Greeters
- Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Fellowship Committee
- Arts and Environment — Vickie Compian
Christmas at Corpus Christi Cathedral
Christmas at the cathedral is one of the most anticipated liturgical events in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Hundreds of volunteers — including ten altar servers at every Mass, six choirs, volunteer carpenters, florists (flowers ordered in July from Gills Nursery), and a five-person KLUX broadcast crew — produce the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass (geared to youth and families), the broadcast Midnight Mass preceded by Lessons and Carols at about 11:15 PM (with Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey as celebrant), and the 10:00 AM Christmas Day Mass celebrated by Father Pete Elizardo. The Midnight Mass is televised live on KLUX HD Radio and KDF TV (Cable 47 UHF / Channel 13), with a livestream online.
- 5:30 PM Christmas Eve Vigil Mass (Father Elizardo)
- Midnight Mass preceded by Lessons and Carols (~11:15 PM); celebrant Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey
- 10:00 AM Christmas Day Mass (Father Elizardo)
- Broadcast: KLUX HD Radio and KDF TV Cable 47 UHF / Channel 13
- Production lead: Marty Wind (KLUX general manager); Richard Luna (video director); Ruth Luna (audio director); Anacleto Villareal (video engineer); Russ Martin (station producer)
Renovation Project (2025–2026)
In 2024 Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey announced plans for the cathedral's most ambitious renovation in decades. The project — funded in part by seed money from the Kenedy Memorial Foundation and additional donations from across the diocese — includes new lighting, pews, flooring, and air-conditioning; a fresh paint job; redesigned confessionals to create a more welcoming atmosphere; a hearing-loop system that connects directly to hearing aids; a new shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe; a new All Saints shrine; and broader accessibility improvements. The cathedral closed for the work beginning May 3, 2025; a grand reopening is planned for June 4–5, 2026, when the new Mass schedule takes effect.
- New lighting, pews, floors, air-conditioning
- Hearing-loop accessibility system
- Redesigned confessionals + shrines to Our Lady of Guadalupe and to All Saints
- Kenedy Memorial Foundation seed funding; diocesan-wide appeal
- Cathedral closed May 2025; reopening June 4–5, 2026
- Masses transferred to Sacred Heart Church (1322 Comanche St.) during renovation
Clergy & Staff
The cathedral is served by Rector Very Rev. Pete Elizardo (who also serves as Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Corpus Christi). Other parish staff include the Director of Religious Education Nelissa Serna, Assistant Director Mariza Rodriguez, Music Director/Organist Lee Gwozdz, Assistant Music Director Nan Borden, Conductor Dr. Guadalupe Rivera Jr., and Arts and Environment Coordinator Vickie Compian.
- Rector: Very Rev. Pete Elizardo
- Director of Religious Education: Nelissa Serna
- Assistant Director of Religious Education: Mariza Rodriguez
- Director of Music / Organist: Lee Gwozdz
- Assistant Director / Cherub Choir: Nan Borden
- Conductor: Dr. Guadalupe Rivera Jr.
- Arts & Environment: Vickie Compian
Visiting & Location
The cathedral sits on North Upper Broadway in downtown Corpus Christi, on the bluff overlooking Corpus Christi Bay — a site visible from the water and known locally as 'City Bluff.' It is surrounded by the city's business district. A Texas Historical Commission marker (1991) stands on the property. During the renovation period visitors attend Mass in the crypt Emmanuel Chapel or at Sacred Heart Church (1322 Comanche St.). A free parking lot is available downtown, and CCRTA bus service serves the area.
- Address: 505 North Upper Broadway, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
- On City Bluff overlooking Corpus Christi Bay
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (1991)
- Parish office: 361-883-4213; [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard O'Reilly1853–
First resident pastor of Corpus Christi; built the original adobe St. Patrick's Church on Tancahua Street, finished 1857; assigned by Bishop Jean-Marie Odin of Galveston.
- Rev. Dominic Manucy1875–
First Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville (vicariate established 1874); resided in Corpus Christi because of conflicts in Brownsville; replaced the tumbling adobe church with a larger frame church on Carancahua Street (opened 1882).
- Rev. Msgr. Richard Shirleylate 1970s–1980s (approx.)
Rector during whose pastorate the Cathedral Concert Series was initiated, ecumenical outreach began, a crypt chapel for daily Mass was created, and a new rectory was built in 1979.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael A. Howell1997–2001
Cathedral Rector under Bishop Roberto O. Gonzalez; oversaw extensive restoration of the bell towers, structural repairs, landscaping, and exterior lighting.
- Rev. James Stemblerapprox. 2024–2025
Rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral who announced and helped launch the major renovation project (new pews, lighting, A/C, hearing-loop, redesigned confessionals, new shrines) before the cathedral's temporary closure.
- Very Rev. Pete Elizardopresent
Current Rector; also Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Corpus Christi; leads liturgy, broadcast of Midnight Mass on KLUX, and the cathedral's Christmas production.
