About Holy Cross · Pittsburg, Texas
Holy Cross Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Pittsburg, Texas, in the Diocese of Tyler. It was founded in 1986 by a small group of Catholics working with Fr. Joe Dean, celebrated its first Mass on October 11, 1986, and was elevated to parish status in February 1988. Today the parish serves roughly 250 families from the current church building at 416 Hill Avenue, which was constructed in 2008–2009 and dedicated by Bishop Alvaro Corrada on February 8, 2009.
- Established
- 1986
- Patron
- The Holy Cross
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Robert Cigainero (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
Holy Cross is a close-knit bilingual parish in rural East Texas that has been serving Pittsburg since 1986 and grew from 50 to roughly 250 families. It offers Mass in both English and Spanish every week, robust faith formation and sacramental-prep programs for children and adults (including RCIA in both languages), a vibrant schedule of ministries — from the Legion of Mary and Pro-Life group to youth ministry, choirs, lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — and one of the most distinctive practices of any parish in the area: 17 continuous hours of Eucharistic Adoration from First Thursday evening through First Friday noon, plus weekly Thursday adoration.
Mass times at Holy Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 6:00–6:45 PM
- Sunday: 8:30–8:50 AM
- Sunday: 11:00–11:20 AM
- Call the office to schedule a confession during the week
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- First Thursday 7:00 PM through First Friday 12:00 PM (17 hours of continuous Eucharistic Adoration)
History of Holy Cross Catholic Church
The parish's own 'Foundations' history page traces the community from a 1986 meeting with Fr. Joe Dean, through the purchase of the original Hill Avenue building in 1987, elevation to parish status in February 1988, the construction of the parish hall in 1988–89, and the construction and February 2009 dedication of the present church building. It also names every pastor from founding to the present and the 2009 addition of the stained-glass windows and foyer mural.
- First Mass: October 11, 1986
- First Spanish Mass: Palm Sunday, April 12, 1987
- First bilingual Mass: December 6, 1987
- Elevated to parish: February 1988
- Parish hall blessed by Bishop Charles E. Herzig: March 1989
- New church groundbreaking: December 2007 (Bishop Alvaro Corrada)
- New church construction began: April 1, 2008
- New church dedicated and consecrated: February 8, 2009
- Stained-glass windows from Mexico installed: July 2009
Sacraments / Sacramentos
The parish prepares members for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and the Anointing of the Sick in both English and Spanish. Sacramental Formation for First Communion and Confirmation is held every Wednesday evening. Couples are asked to contact the priest at least six months before a planned wedding.
- Baptism class (English) — last Saturday of the month, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (Rose Pasillas)
- Preparación Bautismal (Español) — third Saturday of the month, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA)
- Sacramental Formation — Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 PM
- Anointing of the Sick — First Friday of the month at 12:00 noon
- Marriage — contact the priest at least 6 months in advance
Faith Formation & RCIA
Faith Formation for children meets Sunday mornings between the two Sunday Masses, and Sacramental Formation (for First Communion and Confirmation candidates) meets Wednesday evenings. Adult initiation (RCIA in English / RICA in Spanish) is offered through the year, led by Rose Pasillas (English) and Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA (Spanish).
- Faith Formation — Sundays 10:15–11:15 AM
- Sacramental Formation — Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 PM
- RCIA (English) — Rose Pasillas
- RICA (Spanish) — Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA
Ministries & Organizations
The parish's ministries page and bulletins list a wide range of lay-led groups and service roles, organized bilingually and led by named parishioners and the two resident Sisters (Sister Georgina Sierra, MGSA, and Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA). The Pastoral Council is chaired by Manny Pasillas and the Financial Council by Alton Werth.
- Pastoral Council — Manny Pasillas (Chair)
- Financial Council — Alton Werth (Chair)
- Ethics & Integrity (ACS) — Rose Pasillas
- Legion of Mary / Legión de María
- Pro-Life Group / Grupo Pro-Vida — María Álvarez
- Divine Mercy / Divina Misericordia — María Fierro
- Youth Group / Grupo de Jóvenes — Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA
- Choirs (Spanish & bilingual) — Rosario Abrego, Adriana Pimentel
- Lectors, Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sacristans, Ushers
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish operations are run by the Parochial Administrator, two Sisters (MGSA), and a lay secretary. Sister Georgina Sierra, MGSA serves as parish secretary and Director of Faith Formation; Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA coordinates youth ministry, Spanish baptism prep and Spanish sacramental formation; Jazmin Juarez also serves as secretary.
- Rev. Fr. Robert Cigainero — Parochial Administrator
- Sister Georgina Sierra, MGSA — Secretary / Faith Formation
- Sister Ma. Carmen Sierra, MGSA — Youth / Spanish Sacramental Prep
- Jazmin Juarez — Secretary
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
Holy Cross is located at 416 Hill Avenue in Pittsburg (Camp County), Texas. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed on Mondays. An after-hours emergency line is also published in the bulletin.
- Address: 416 Hill Avenue, Pittsburg, TX 75686
- Mailing: PO Box 846, Pittsburg, TX 75686
- Office phone: (903) 708-7084
- After-hours emergency: (903) 748-1406
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: holycrosspittsburg.com
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM (closed Monday)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joe Dean1986–1990
Founding pastor; organized the Catholic community in Pittsburg and celebrated the first Mass on October 11, 1986.
- Fr. Mike Kerin1990–1994
Succeeded Fr. Joe Dean; shepherded the parish as it more than doubled in size.
- Fr. Bob Pondl1994–1999
Took over as pastor in 1994.
- Fr. Agustine Mailadiyil1999–2006
Succeeded Fr. Bob Pondl; launched the pledge program in October 2004 to fund a new church building.
- Fr. Ariel CortesApril 2006–
Succeeded Fr. Agustine; oversaw fundraising, groundbreaking (Dec 2007), construction (April 2008) and the February 8, 2009 dedication of the new church.
- Rev. Fr. Robert Cigainero
Current Parochial Administrator listed on parish materials.