About Good Shepherd · Brownsville, Texas
Good Shepherd Catholic Church (Iglesia Católica El Buen Pastor) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish serving the south-side Tulipan Street neighborhood of Brownsville, Texas, in the Diocese of Brownsville. Founded in 1968, the parish is named for Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and worships predominantly in Spanish with one bilingual Sunday Mass. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Aglayde Rafael Vega and Deacon Sergio Garcia, the parish offers daily and Sunday Masses, a weekday Holy Hour, regular confession times, the CCE (Catecismo) religious-education program, and a full set of lay ministries including music, lectors, ushers, and altar servers.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd (El Buen Pastor)
- Rector
- Rev. Aglayde Rafael Vega
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is a welcoming, predominantly Spanish-speaking parish in the Diocese of Brownsville that celebrates Mass every day of the week, with a bilingual Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM that makes it accessible to English-speaking Catholics and inter-generational families. The parish offers robust sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Christian Initiation/RCIA), a CCE religious-education program for children coordinated by Juan Carlos Perez, and a full range of lay ministries (Music Ministry, Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers) where parishioners can put their faith into action.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- 1st Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM Holy Hour
- Thursday 6:00 PM Holy Hour
- 1st Friday 6:00 PM Holy Hour
About Good Shepherd Parish
Good Shepherd Catholic Church — known in Spanish as Iglesia Católica El Buen Pastor — is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Brownsville serving the south-side Tulipan Street neighborhood of Brownsville, Texas. Founded in 1968, the parish is named for Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and reflects the rich Catholic and Hispanic heritage of the Rio Grande Valley. The parish community gathers for daily and Sunday Masses in Spanish, with one bilingual Mass on Sunday morning, and is served by a pastor, a deacon, and a team of lay ministers.
- Official name: Good Shepherd Catholic Church / Iglesia Católica El Buen Pastor
- Diocese: Diocese of Brownsville
- Established: 1968
- Patron: Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd
History of the Parish
According to the official Diocese of Brownsville timeline, the Church of the Good Shepherd was established as a parish in 1968, during a period of significant growth for the diocese in the lower Rio Grande Valley. It was created alongside several other new parishes to serve the spiritual needs of Brownsville's expanding Catholic population. For more than fifty years the parish has maintained its Spanish-language Catholic identity while also embracing English-speaking parishioners through a bilingual Sunday Mass.
- 1968: Parish established by the Diocese of Brownsville
- Pastoral care continues today under Fr. Aglayde Rafael Vega
Parish Staff / Personal de la Parroquia
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a deacon, religious-education coordinator, administrative staff, and maintenance team.
- Fr. Aglayde Rafael Vega — Pastor / Priest
- Deacon Sergio Garcia — Deacon
- Ms. Pilar Rochel — Administrative Assistant
- Mr. Juan Carlos Perez — CCE Coordinator
- Lorena Mendez — Parish Secretary
- Juan Torres — Maintenance
Parish Ministries
Lay faithful at Good Shepherd serve the parish through several ministries. Each plays a distinct role in supporting the worship and welcome of the assembly.
- Music Ministry — leads the assembly in sung prayer and full participation in the Eucharist
- Lectors — proclaim the first and second readings and the Prayer of the Faithful
- Ushers — welcome parishioners and visitors to each Mass
- Altar Servers — assist the priest and deacon at the altar during Mass and other liturgies
CCE — Religious Education / Catecismo
The parish runs a CCE (Catecismo) program to assist parents — the primary educators of their children — in forming young people in the Catholic faith. The program teaches Catholic belief, worship, and Christian service, and is coordinated by Mr. Juan Carlos Perez. Registration forms are made available through the parish office and website.
- CCE Coordinator: Mr. Juan Carlos Perez
- Family-based faith formation for children
- Registration forms available via the parish
Sacraments
Good Shepherd prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Preparation typically involves the parish office and the CCE program, with couples preparing for marriage also participating in diocesan marriage-preparation retreats at the Bishop Marx Conference Center.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Christian Initiation / RCIA (RICA)
Office, Contact and Giving
The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Martes a Viernes). Parishioners may also support the parish through online giving and by participating in the annual parish raffle. Weekly bulletins are posted on the parish website.
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Phone: (956) 542-5142
- Fax: (956) 542-5278
- Email: [email protected]
- Online Giving link available on parish website
- Annual Raffle as parish fundraiser
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Aglayde Rafael Vegaeffective 11/27/2011 (re-appointed 06/06/2019)
Current pastor per the Diocese of Brownsville Parish Finder and the parish's own Staff page.