About Holy Rosary · Cisco, Texas
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a small historic Catholic parish in Cisco, Texas, part of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Founded in 1921 during the era of the Spanish flu, it celebrated its 100th anniversary in September 2021 and is one of five rural churches in a closely-knit cluster that also includes St. Rita in Ranger, St. John in Strawn, St. Francis Xavier in Eastland, and St. Boniface on Dodson Prairie. Sunday Mass is offered at 8:00 AM, with weekday Mass, confession, and adoration on Wednesdays. The parish shares a single administrative office in Ranger and is served by Pallottine (SAC) priests, currently Rev. Maria Joseph Kiran Kumar Pudota, SAC.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Maria Joseph Kiran Kumar Pudota, SAC
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a warm, small-town Catholic community where the priest knows the parishioners by name and the parish family extends across Eastland County through the Ranger–Cisco–Eastland–Strawn–Dodson Prairie cluster. The church offers a full weekly rhythm of worship — Sunday Mass, a Wednesday Mass with morning and evening confession and adoration, a monthly Rosary prayed outdoors at its Marian Grotto, a fellowship breakfast on the first Sunday of each month, and a free monthly Friendship Meal open to the whole community. For Catholics in Cisco and the surrounding rural area, registering here means becoming part of a 100-year-old parish family committed to growing in faith, serving others, and sharing the Gospel.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM (before the 6:30 PM Mass)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (morning adoration)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM (evening adoration, followed by Mass)
Welcome and Parish Identity
The parish describes itself as part of 'a Catholic parish community serving the 4 cities of Strawn, Ranger, Eastland, and Cisco TX.' The website, stritacatholicranger.org, is the single online home for all four (later five) clustered parishes, and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Cisco is featured prominently with its own dedicated page.
- Physical church: 1108 Avenue F, Cisco, TX 76437
- Shared parish office: 1109 Blackwell Road, Ranger, TX 76470 (Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–3 PM)
- Office phone: 254-647-3163
- Email: [email protected]
History and 100th Anniversary
Founded in 1921 during the Spanish flu pandemic, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary marked its centennial on September 18, 2021, when Bishop Michael Olson celebrated a special Mass and preached on the maternal patronage of Mary under the title of the Holy Rosary. The Bishop's homily emphasized 'kairos' — God's providential presence in the chronological events of the parish's life over a century of baptisms, confirmations, first Communions, weddings, and funerals.
- Parish established 1921
- Centennial Mass celebrated September 18, 2021
- Centennial homily delivered by Bishop Michael Olson, Diocese of Fort Worth
- Parish shares its history with the founding of Cisco itself — the town where Conrad Hilton launched his hotel career
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently pastored by Rev. Maria Joseph Kiran Kumar Pudota, SAC — a member of the Pallottine Fathers (Society of the Catholic Apostolate), the religious order that shepherds the entire Ranger–Cisco–Eastland–Strawn cluster. Day-to-day parish administration is handled through the Ranger office, with a bookkeeper and a secretary supporting the priest's ministry.
- Pastor: Rev. Maria Joseph Kiran Kumar Pudota, SAC
- Bookkeeper: Patricia Davis
- Secretary: Danielle Harper (also the after-hours pastoral-emergency contact, 254-631-7484)
- Pastoral emergency line for Fr. Joseph Pudota: 817-821-5821
Parish Cluster: Ranger, Cisco, Eastland, Strawn, Dodson Prairie
Holy Rosary does not stand alone — it is one of five closely-linked rural parishes sharing one priest-team and one office. The shared Mission Statement commits the five communities of St. John (Strawn), St. Rita (Ranger), Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Cisco), St. Francis Xavier (Eastland), and St. Boniface (Dodson Prairie) to growing in faith, serving, and sharing together as 'the Body of Christ.'
- St. Rita, Ranger — Sunday Mass 9:45 AM; Tuesday Mass 6:30 PM with 6:00–6:30 PM Confession and Adoration
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Cisco — Sunday Mass 8:00 AM; Wednesday Mass 6:30 PM
- St. Francis Xavier, Eastland — Sunday Spanish Mass 11:15 AM; Thursday Spanish Mass 7:00 PM with 6:30–7:00 PM Confesión/Rosario
- St. John, Strawn — Saturday Vigil Mass 4:00 PM; Wednesday Mass 5:00 PM with 4:30–5:00 PM Confession and Adoration
- St. Boniface, Dodson Prairie — 2nd Thursday, 4:00–4:30 PM Confession and Adoration; 1st Friday Adoration at St. Francis Xavier
Mission Statement
The five-parish cluster shares one mission statement: 'We gather as the Body of Christ: to grow in our faith, to serve, to share. We the faith community of St. John, St. Rita, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Francis Xavier and St. Boniface, united in God's family through our Catholic tradition, gather to bear witness to the teachings of Jesus Christ and share his eternal mission.'
- Communal worship, faith education, spiritual growth, and fellowship
- Inspired by the Holy Spirit to be 'Christ's hands' in Eastland County
- Hospitality, diversity, and tolerance as core values
- Invites all to share time, talent, and treasure
Parish Life: Fellowship Meals, Breakfasts, and the Grotto
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is known for its warm, neighborly parish life. A free monthly 'Friendship Meal' is served in the parish hall — open to the entire community, not just parishioners. On the first Sunday of every month the parish gathers after the 8:00 AM Mass for a Fellowship Breakfast. The outdoor Grotto on the parish grounds is a beloved site for praying the Rosary, especially on holy days and summer evenings (weather permitting).
- Friendship Meal — monthly community dinner in the parish hall
- Fellowship Breakfast — first Sunday of every month after 8:00 AM Mass
- Rosary at the Grotto — outdoor Marian devotion, weather permitting
- Annual Diocesan Appeal — yearly diocesan-wide fundraiser
Parish Registration and Getting Involved
Becoming a registered parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is straightforward: registration forms are available online and as hard copies at the back of the church, and can be returned to the shared parish office in Ranger. New parishioners are encouraged to set up a welcome meeting with the pastor, Fr. Joseph Pudota.
- Parish registration form available on stritacatholicranger.org and at the back of church
- Office: 254-647-3163
- After registering, parishioners are invited to meet Fr. Joseph Pudota
- Flocknote email/SMS list for parish updates and announcements
Contact, Office, and Pastoral Emergencies
The shared parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 3 PM. For pastoral emergencies outside office hours, the parish provides direct mobile numbers for the pastor and the office staff — a thoughtful accommodation for a rural area where the nearest priest may be many miles away.
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–3 PM
- Office phone: 254-647-3163
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastoral emergency — Fr. Joseph Pudota: 817-821-5821
- Pastoral emergency — Danielle Harper (office staff): 254-631-7484
Diocese and Wider Church
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a parish of the Diocese of Fort Worth, in north-central Texas. The parish participates in the Annual Diocesan Appeal, the yearly fundraising drive that supports diocesan ministries, Catholic schools, clergy formation, and charitable works across the diocese.
- Diocese of Fort Worth
- Diocesan bishop: Michael Olson
- Annual Diocesan Appeal supporter
- Clustered rural parishes served by the Pallottine Fathers (S.A.C.)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Reehan Soosai Antony, SAC
Previously listed as Parochial Administrator of Holy Rosary on third-party parish directories before the current assignment of Fr. Joseph Pudota, SAC.