About Immaculate Conception · Jefferson, Texas
Immaculate Conception Parish is a small Roman Catholic community in historic Jefferson, Texas — once a thriving steamboat port and now a popular heritage tourism town in Marion County. Founded in 1863 by the French-Irish missionary Father Jean Marie Giraud, the parish served a flock of just 22 souls at its first Mass and built its first church on Polk and Lafayette Streets in 1867 with funds sent from Lyon, France. The current church, rebuilt and dedicated in 1996 after a 1992 fire destroyed the original 1870-vintage structure, sits at 201 North Vale Street and today operates as a parish of the Diocese of Tyler, served by a small clergy team under Pastor Rev. Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattuthara.
- Established
- 1863
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattuthara
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small but historic parish that has been the Catholic heart of Jefferson for more than 160 years, offering daily and weekend Mass in English, regular Confession five days a week, and the warmth of a multi-generational Altar Society whose records go back to the parish's earliest days. Under Pastor Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattuthara and Associate Fr. Isaac Oviedo — and supported by parish administrator Colette Hines — visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a community rooted in Eucharistic prayer, devotion to Our Blessed Mother, and a living legacy of Catholic education, charity, and care in East Texas.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM
- Wednesday: 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM
- Friday: 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM
- 1st Friday: 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
- Saturday: 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
- Other times by appointment — call Msgr Zach or Fr. Isaac
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving historic Jefferson, Texas. Its stated mission is to be 'a prayerful, Eucharistic Family, open to the Power of the Holy Spirit,' conscious of its call to use time, talent and treasure in service to brothers and sisters, under the guidance and protection of Mary, Our Blessed Mother. The parish is part of the Diocese of Tyler and is served by a small staff of clergy and one office administrator.
A History of the Parish
Catholic life in Jefferson began in 1863 when French-Irish missionary Father Jean Marie Giraud celebrated the city's first recorded Catholic Mass before 22 faithful. In 1867 he built the first church on Polk and Lafayette Streets with funds from Lyon, France; the church was dragged by oxen to its present Vale Street site in 1870. Father Giraud also opened St. Mary's School in 1869, staffed by Sisters of Charity from Emmitsburg. After Jefferson's steamboat economy declined, the parish slipped into mission status in 1910, served variously by Jesuits from Shreveport, Father Lawrence Leutkemeyer ('Father Meyer') of St. Anthony's Longview, and the Glenmary Home Missioners. The first resident 20th-century pastor was Father John O'Rourke (1951–52).
The 1992 Fire and Rebuilding
On the evening of January 5, 1992, fire entirely destroyed the lovely little historic church. Two relics of the original structure survived to be incorporated into the rebuilt parish: the ornate cross from the original steeple (saved when the steeple fell) now tops the rebuilt church, and the charred-but-intact altar stone has been incorporated into the present altar. A new church was dedicated May 19, 1996 as testimony to Catholic history in Jefferson and a commitment to its future.
Our Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattuthara, who also serves as Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Marshall and Dean of the East Central Deanery of the Diocese of Tyler. He is assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. Fr. Isaac Oviedo and Rev. Fr. Gabriel Uzondu. Office Administrator Colette Hines keeps the parish office running and can be reached at 817-466-6674.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattuthara — 903-724-0865 — [email protected]
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Fr. Isaac Oviedo — 903-806-5164 — [email protected]
- Rev. Fr. Gabriel Uzondu — 903-907-1446 — [email protected]
- Office Administrator: Colette Hines — 817-466-6674
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Immaculate Conception's most enduring lay organization is its Altar Society, founded shortly after the parish itself was built and still active today. The parish also benefits from the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Jefferson Texas Foundation, created from the 1977 legacy of benefactress Mary Ragley Schluter Saner, and from the work of its office administrator.
- Altar Society (continuous since the parish's earliest days)
- Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Jefferson Texas Foundation
Vocations from Immaculate Conception
Across its 160+ years, the parish has sent two sisters and a priest into the service of God: Sister Mary Angele (Regina Whelan) to the Sisters of Providence, Sister Marie Louise (Jess Wise) to the Carmelite Sisters, and Msgr. Thomas S. Zachry, who served in the Dallas and Fort Worth dioceses.
Contact and Visiting
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located at 201 North Vale Street in Jefferson, Texas (Marion County), in the heart of the city's historic district. The parish can be reached by phone at 903-665-2869 and is administered jointly with St. Joseph Parish in Marshall (parish office email: [email protected]).
- Address: 201 N Vale St, Jefferson, TX 75657
- Phone: 903-665-2869
- Website: http://icccjeffersontx.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jean Marie Giraud1863–1872
French-born, Irish-educated missionary; celebrated Jefferson's first recorded Catholic Mass in 1863 with 22 faithful; built the first church in 1867 with funds from Lyon, France; founded St. Mary's School in 1869.
- Father Thomas Hennessy1872
Succeeded Father Giraud as pastor.
- Father Pierre Marie Dumont
Succeeded Father Hennessy.
- Father Pierre François Chandyfrom 1883
Of Lyons, France; the parish's fourth pastor; built a two-story frame building next to the church on Vale Street and opened St. Joseph's Academy in 1884.
- Father Marie Joseph Granger
Re-opened the parish school in September 1891, re-named it 'St. Mary's,' staffed with Sisters of Divine Providence; closed in 1897.
- Father Lawrence Leutkemeyer ('Father Meyer')from 1924
Pastor of St. Anthony's in Longview who took Immaculate Conception into his mission; oversaw construction of the debt-free parish hall in 1956.
- Father John O'RourkeJune 29, 1951 – September 25, 1952
Jefferson's first resident pastor in the 20th century.
- Rev. Anthony Stoeppelprior to November 2018
Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Jefferson before being assigned to the faculty of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
- Rev. Msgr. Zach Kunnakkattutharafrom November 1, 2018
Assigned November 2018 as Parochial Administrator; also serves as Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Marshall and Dean of the East Central Deanery.