About Holy Trinity · Big Spring, Texas
Holy Trinity Catholic Parish is a unified Roman Catholic parish serving Big Spring, Texas and all of Howard County, belonging to the Diocese of San Angelo. The parish was canonically erected on February 15, 2008 by San Angelo Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, uniting the historic congregations of Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Thomas, and St. Joseph in nearby Coahoma under a single pastoral identity. Today it serves more than 1,000 Catholic families across multiple worship sites, with its central offices located at 1009 Hearn Street in Big Spring. The parish is committed to honoring the legacy of its predecessor parishes while building toward a future single church, offering Mass in both English and Spanish along with daily confessions and Eucharistic adoration.
- Established
- 2008
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- Rector
- Fr. Serafin Avenido
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Angelo
Why belong here
Holy Trinity offers a deeply bilingual Catholic community with Masses celebrated in both English and Spanish each week, plus a robust schedule of weekday Masses, daily confession opportunities, and twice-weekly Eucharistic adoration. As the unified parish for more than 1,000 Catholic families across Howard County, it provides the spiritual depth of multiple historic worship sites — including the 1911 Gothic Revival St. Thomas landmark — while actively working toward a future single church. Visitors and parishioners will find a community that honors its immigrant and frontier-era roots and welcomes all people into active parish life.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (following 6:00 PM Mass)
- Friday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (following 6:00 PM Mass)
Parish Identity & Mission
Holy Trinity Catholic Parish identifies itself as the unified Roman Catholic community of Big Spring and Howard County, Texas. Its mission statement, published on the parish website, expresses gratitude for the opportunity 'to work together in sharing the good news of Our Lord Jesus Christ as we honor the past and build the future.' The parish explicitly invites all people to become active members, using their unique talents to build up the parish community while 'cheerfully encouraging, supporting, and forgiving one another' as brothers and sisters in Christ. All of this is directed toward glorifying the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — and being a Christian example to Big Spring and all of Howard County.
- Parish patron: Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- Diocese: San Angelo
- Canonical founding: February 15, 2008
- Geographic mission: Big Spring, TX and all of Howard County
History of the Parish
Holy Trinity was formed in 2008 from four previously independent Catholic parishes serving the Big Spring area: Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Thomas, and St. Joseph in Coahoma. The Catholic presence in Big Spring itself dates to 1883, when the Rev. H. A. Boniface organized the city's first Catholic parish, St. Mary's, with Mass offered in English, German, and Spanish. The present St. Thomas Church, the parish's most architecturally significant heritage building, was completed in 1911 and is now a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
- 1883: St. Mary's, Big Spring's first Catholic parish, organized by Rev. H. A. Boniface
- 1911: St. Thomas Catholic Church (605 N. Main St.) completed under builder J. M. Morgan — Gothic Revival, native stone, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
- Pre-2008: Four separate parishes operated: Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Thomas, and St. Joseph (Coahoma)
- February 15, 2008: Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer of San Angelo formally unified the four parishes under the new name Holy Trinity
- 2008: Weekend Masses consolidated from eight to four, with parishioners free to attend at any retained church building
Predecessor Parishes (1883–2008)
Holy Trinity Parish carries forward the spiritual legacy of four predecessor Catholic parishes in the Big Spring area. While they no longer exist as separate canonical parishes, the historic names of the worship buildings have been preserved and remain in active use by the unified Holy Trinity community.
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church — historically the largest of the four parishes (~525 families)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church — second largest (~330 families)
- St. Thomas Catholic Church — established parish (~181 families); site of Big Spring's 1911 Gothic Revival landmark church
- St. Joseph Catholic Church, Coahoma — smallest of the four (~26 families); located in the nearby town of Coahoma, TX
Worship & Liturgy
Holy Trinity celebrates the Eucharist throughout the week in both English and Spanish. The Sunday schedule features a Vigil Mass on Saturday evening, a Bilingual Mass on Sunday morning, and an additional English Sunday Mass. Weekday Masses are offered Tuesday through Friday, including a dedicated Spanish Mass on Wednesday evening.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (Bilingual) and 11:00 AM
- Tuesday: 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Thursday: 6:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 PM
Clergy, Staff & Leadership
Holy Trinity Parish is led by Pastor Fr. Serafin Avenido, with parish operations supported by a bookkeeper and parish secretary. The parish is part of the Diocese of San Angelo. At its canonical founding in 2008, the parish's first pastor was Fr. Mark Gully, with Rev. Ariel Lagunilla serving as associate pastor.
- Pastor: Fr. Serafin Avenido — phone 432-256-0675; email [email protected]
- Bookkeeper: Sylvia S. Rocha
- Secretary: Dianna Valdez
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Diocese: San Angelo (Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer was the diocesan bishop at the parish's 2008 founding)
Parish Office, Location & Visiting
The parish's central offices are located at 1009 Hearn Street on the south side of Big Spring, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 951. Visitors traveling from downtown Big Spring drive south on Gregg Street (Hwy 87) for about three miles, then turn west onto Hearn Street; the parish office is on the left shortly after the turn. Those interested in exploring the parish's heritage architecture should also visit St. Thomas Catholic Church at 605 North Main Street.
- Parish Office: 1009 Hearn Street, Big Spring, TX 79720
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 951, Big Spring, TX 79721
- Phone: 432-714-4930
- Fax: 432-714-4932
- Email: [email protected]
- Heritage worship site: St. Thomas Catholic Church, 605 North Main St., Big Spring (1911 Gothic Revival, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Mark Gully2008–
First pastor of the unified Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, appointed by Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer to lead the merger of Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Thomas, and St. Joseph (Coahoma). He and associate pastor Rev. Ariel Lagunilla guided the community through the transition to a unified Mass schedule and centralized offices at 1009 Hearn St.
- Fr. Serafin Avenidopresent
Current pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Parish.
- Rev. Jim Plagenspre-2008
Outgoing pastor of one of the predecessor parishes (Sacred Heart area) before the 2008 merger; transferred to St. Ann's in Midland as senior pastor.
- Rev. Richard Reganpre-2008
Outgoing pastor of one of the predecessor Big Spring parishes before the 2008 merger; began an extended medical leave at the time of unification.