About Good Shepherd · Lometa, Texas
Good Shepherd Church is a Catholic mission parish in the small community of Lometa, Texas, in Lampasas County. It is twinned with St. Mary Catholic Church in nearby Lampasas, and the two worship sites are served jointly as the 'Catholic Communities of St. Mary & Good Shepherd' under one pastor. The mission holds Sunday morning Mass and a Thursday morning weekday Mass, with confessions heard before Sunday Mass. Worship at Good Shepherd is celebrated in English, and the mission is part of the Diocese of Austin.
- Established
- c. 1946 (tax-exempt status granted by IRS March 1946)
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd)
- Rector
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI (Administrator of St. Mary & Good Shepherd, appointed July 1, 2025; installed at St. Mary November 21, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is a small, accessible Catholic community in rural central Texas that offers the faithful a Sunday Mass plus a Thursday weekday Mass and Sunday-morning confessions — all in English, in an intimate mission setting. The mission is part of the Catholic Communities of St. Mary & Good Shepherd, so parishioners benefit from being linked to a larger parish in Lampasas while worshiping locally in Lometa. The community currently celebrates the sacraments with a new pastor, Fr. Antony Akkappallil CMI, who is also welcoming visitors and newcomers with a warm, personal touch.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM (before Mass, at Good Shepherd)
- Saturday 4:00 PM or by appointment (at St. Mary, Lampasas)
Good Shepherd Church — Mission in Lometa, Texas
Good Shepherd Church is a Catholic mission in Lometa, Texas, part of the Diocese of Austin. It is paired with St. Mary Catholic Church in Lampasas as the 'Catholic Communities of St. Mary & Good Shepherd,' sharing one pastor and one faith family across the two worship sites. The mission's own website is part of stmarycatholic.faith.
- Type: Mission (Diocese of Austin)
- Town: Lometa, Lampasas County, Texas
- Partner parish: St. Mary Catholic Church, Lampasas (~26 km away)
- Rite: Roman-Latin
History of Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd's roots in Lometa go back to at least the 1940s. IRS records show the parish was granted federal tax-exempt status in March 1946, indicating an organized Catholic community of long standing. The mission was later formally incorporated in the State of Texas as a domestic nonprofit corporation on October 8, 2007. In 2024, Good Shepherd was noted by GCatholic as one of the 'Churches in the Path of Totality' for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. In 2025 the mission began a new chapter with the appointment of Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI, as Administrator of St. Mary and Good Shepherd.
- IRS exempt status: March 1946
- Texas incorporation: October 8, 2007
- Notable moment: 2024 total solar eclipse path
- 2025: new Administrator appointed
Pastor and Staff
Good Shepherd is currently served by Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI, who was appointed Administrator of St. Mary and Good Shepherd on July 1, 2025 and installed as pastor of St. Mary on November 21, 2025. He is a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), an indigenous religious congregation from India, and brings a missionary background from Argentina and from parish work in India's Diocese of Mandya. Before coming to Lampasas, his first U.S. assignment was as associate pastor at St. Martin de Porres Church, Dripping Springs.
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI — Administrator / Pastor (since July 1, 2025)
- Religious congregation: Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)
- Ordained: January 2, 2006
- Previous U.S. assignment: St. Martin de Porres, Dripping Springs (associate pastor)
- Contact: [email protected] · 737-299-1808
Catholic Communities of St. Mary & Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd and St. Mary in Lampasas operate as one pastoral family. St. Mary offers a fuller schedule, including a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, weekday Masses in English and Spanish, and additional confession times. This arrangement gives Good Shepherd parishioners access to a broader range of Mass times, sacramental preparation, and parish life while keeping a local worship site in Lometa.
- St. Mary address: 701 North Key Avenue, Lampasas, TX 76550
- St. Mary phone: (512) 556-5544
- St. Mary Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
- St. Mary Sunday: 10:00 AM (English) and 12:15 PM (Spanish)
- St. Mary Weekdays: Tue 5:30 PM (English), Wed 12:00 PM (English), Thu 5:30 PM (Spanish), Fri 12:00 PM (English)
Visit and Contact
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed at Good Shepherd, whether they are Catholic, of another faith, or simply curious. Anyone is invited to attend any Mass and greet the community. For questions, to arrange sacraments, or to reach the pastor, parishioners may call the parish office at (512) 556-5544 or email Fr. Antony at [email protected].
- Phone: (512) 556-5544
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Pastor mobile: 737-299-1808
- Mailing/office address: 701 N Key Avenue, Lampasas, TX 76550
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI2025–present
Appointed Administrator of St. Mary & Good Shepherd on July 1, 2025; installed as St. Mary's pastor on November 21, 2025.