About Immaculate Conception · Edinburg, Texas
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a small, historic parish in the rural community of McCook, Texas, in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Hidalgo County (commonly reached through Edinburg). The parish was founded in 1950 by Polish-Silesian Texan settlers—descendants of the pioneers who established Panna Maria, the oldest Polish settlement in the United States—who built the church, rectory, cemetery, and parish hall themselves through decades of faith and fundraising. Today it is one of the 72 parishes of the Diocese of Brownsville, marked by the Texas Historical Commission as a Texas Historical Landmark (1978) and its cemetery (2014), and it continues to serve as a spiritual home for the surrounding farming community.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Pedro Hernandez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is one of the Rio Grande Valley's most historically rooted Catholic communities, where three generations of Polish-Silesian farm families have built—and continue to keep—their church with their own hands and prayers. The parish welcomes Catholics of all backgrounds to celebrate Mass, receive the sacraments, and take part in the Blessing of the Seeds in February, the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer in April, and the May Coronation of the Blessed Mother. Small, intimate, and deeply faithful, it is also the mother parish for St. Anne's Mission in San Manuel, offering a real sense of family across generations.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM
History of Immaculate Conception, McCook
The parish was founded in 1950 by Polish-Silesian farm families who had been settling the McCook community since 1925. After years of community fundraisers, groundbreaking took place on March 9, 1950; the church was dedicated on October 15, 1950 by Bishop M.S. Garriga. The parish became independent in January 1951 with Father William Kelley as first resident pastor. Both the church and the Immaculate Conception Cemetery are recognized Texas Historical Landmarks.
- Planning began: December 18, 1935 (meeting at Frank Prukop home)
- Name chosen: January 1950
- Construction contract: $20,926.00
- Groundbreaking: March 9, 1950
- Dedication Mass: October 15, 1950 (nearly 3,000 attendees)
- Independent parish status: January 1951
- First Baptism: Theresa Rose Skloss (October 1950)
- First Marriage: Jerome Moy and Mary Teresa Lyssy (October 24, 1950)
- Church Texas Historical Marker: 1978
- Cemetery Texas Historical Marker: 2014
Pioneer Settlers and Silesian Heritage
McCook was settled in the mid-1920s by Polish-Silesian families from Kosciusko, Texas, descendants of the 1854 Panna Maria founders. Urban Kotzur (arrived 1926) and Frank Prukop (arrived 1927) were the first to buy land; by 1935 seventeen Catholic families were listed in the community, who traveled 25 miles each Sunday to St. Paul Parish in Mission. Their descendants continue to form the backbone of the parish today.
- Urban Kotzur and Frank Prukop — founding settlers
- Other founding families: Doybrava, Gawlik, Kolodziej, Kotzur, Kremel, Lyssy, Machac, Moczygemba, Pollock, Prukop, Skloss
- Fundraising traditions: barbecues, dances, box-lunch auctions
Clergy and Pastoral Succession
Since its founding the parish has been served by a succession of priests, beginning with Father Peter Crulley as traveling assistant (1950) and Father William Kelley as first resident pastor (1951). The current pastor is Rev. Pedro Hernandez (effective May 6, 2024).
- Rev. Peter Crulley (assistant, 1950)
- Rev. William Kelley (first resident pastor, 1951)
- Rev. Stanley Brach
- Rev. Sylvester P. Stout
- Rev. Vincent Herbert Howley
- Rev. Peter Smith
- Rev. Michael Annunziato (caretaker from Sacred Heart, Edinburg)
- Rev. Marti Zuber
- Rev. Thomas Kulleck
- Rev. Willy Verboomen
- Rev. Honecimo Figueroa
- Rev. Jose Rene Angel
- Rev. Joaquin Zermeno
- Rev. Juan Manuel Salazar (March 2020 – 2024)
- Rev. Pedro Hernandez (effective 05/06/2024)
Notable Descendants
Father Gregory Labus, ordained May 27, 2006, is the great-grandson of two of the earliest McCook settlers. His parents are Cecilia Kotzur and Emil John Labus; he serves as pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Edinburg, Texas.
Liturgical Ministries and Devotions
Immaculate Conception has cultivated a strong tradition of lay liturgical involvement and Marian/farming devotions since its earliest days. The parish choir was founded in 1951 with Alois J. Moczygemba as the first organist; altar boys in bright red cassocks have served every major Mass since the 1950 dedication. Three annual devotions mark the rural Catholic character of the community.
- Parish Choir (since 1951)
- Altar Servers (since 1950; original servers returned for 60th anniversary in 2010)
- Blessing of the Seeds (February)
- Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer (April)
- May Crowning / Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- First Friday devotions (per parish tradition)
Facilities: Church, Rectory, Parish Hall and Cemetery
The original 1950 church remains the heart of the parish. Over the decades a rectory, parish hall, and cemetery were added through donations of land, money, and labor by the founding families. The bell was donated by Leon and Elizabeth Korzekwa Kotzur; cemetery land was given by August Skloss; parish-hall land came from Henry Goedrich; stained glass windows were sponsored by parishioners in memory of loved ones.
- Church (dedicated 1950; Texas Historical Marker 1978)
- Rectory (built under Father Kelley's tenure)
- Parish Hall (land donated by Henry Goedrich)
- Immaculate Conception Cemetery (land donated by August Skloss; Texas Historical Marker 2014)
- Bell: gift of Leon and Elizabeth Korzekwa Kotzur
- Organ: purchased 1951 for $75 by Felix Keller and Alois J. Moczygemba
- Stained glass windows: donated in memory of loved ones
St. Anne's Mission, San Manuel
Immaculate Conception also serves as the mother parish for St. Anne's Mission in San Manuel, Texas, where Sunday Mass is celebrated at 12:00 PM in English.
- Sunday Mass (San Manuel): 12:00 PM, English
Heritage and Historical Recognition
The parish's significance extends well beyond its small congregation. Both the church and the cemetery have been formally recognized by the Texas Historical Commission as Official Texas Historical Landmarks, honoring the Silesian Texan pioneers who settled the area as farmers and built their faith community from the ground up.
- Church Historical Marker (1978)
- Cemetery Historical Marker (2014)
- Marker installation coordinated by Joyce Skloss, Walter Lyssy, Lawrence Skloss, and Sklarz Farms, Inc.
- Sources: SilesianTexans.com and Polish Heritage Center of Texas
Community and Cultural Life
From the very beginning the parish was as much a social and cultural community as a religious one. Box-lunch auctions, barbecues, and dances funded construction; today anniversary celebrations and the annual Tribute to the Patriots of McCook (begun April 13, 2013) keep the heritage alive. The parish is closely tied to the rural farming community it serves, and many descendants of the original founders still worship and serve at Immaculate Conception.
- Annual anniversary Masses (5-year intervals since 1950)
- Tribute to the Patriots of McCook (begun 2013)
- 60th anniversary Mass (2010) celebrated by Bishop Daniel Flores
- 65th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Emeritus John W. Yanta
Visiting and Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (956) 842-3663 or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address reflects Edinburg (78541), though the church is physically located in McCook along FM 2058.
- Address: 28212 FM 2058, McCook, TX 78541
- Phone: (956) 842-3663
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese listing: cdob.org Parish Finder
- Facebook: facebook.com/immaculateconceptionmccook
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Crulley1950–1951
Traveling assistant pastor from St. Paul Parish, Mission; concelebrated the dedication Mass.
- Rev. William Kelley1951–
First resident pastor when the parish became independent; oversaw rectory, organ, choir, cemetery and bell.
- Rev. Stanley Brach
- Rev. Sylvester P. Stout
- Rev. Vincent Herbert Howley
- Rev. Peter Smith
- Rev. Michael Annunziato
Cared for the parish briefly from Sacred Heart, Edinburg after Father Smith's retirement.
- Rev. Marti Zuber
- Rev. Thomas Kulleck
- Rev. Willy Verboomen
- Rev. Honecimo Figueroa
- Rev. Jose Rene Angel
- Rev. Joaquin Zermeno
- Rev. Juan Manuel SalazarMarch 2020 – 2024
- Rev. Pedro Hernandezeffective 05/06/2024 – present
Current pastor per Diocese of Brownsville parish finder.