About Immaculate Conception · Skidmore, Texas
Immaculate Conception is a small Catholic parish in the rural community of Skidmore, Texas, in Bee County. It belongs to the Diocese of Corpus Christi and serves the surrounding ranching country along U.S. Highway 181, including the mission church of St. Francis Xavier in the nearby community of Tynan. Weekly Masses are offered in English six days a week, with a Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning schedule typical of South Texas country parishes. The parish is currently administered by Rev. Tom Goodwin.
- Established
- 19th century (pre-1900; parish on-site by 1900)
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Tom Goodwin (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers a faithful, small-town Catholic community in Bee County with daily and weekly Mass, regular Saturday confessions, and the personal attention typical of a country parish. It serves not only Skidmore but also the surrounding ranching region through its affiliated St. Francis Xavier Mission in Tynan, making it a spiritual home for Catholic families across this stretch of South Texas.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
- or by appointment
Parish Identity and Location
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is the Catholic parish serving Skidmore, Texas — an unincorporated community in southern Bee County along U.S. Highway 181 and the former San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad corridor. The parish is part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi and works closely with the diocese's parish-finder directory. Its physical address is 600 E. 1st St., Skidmore, TX 78389, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 189. Reaching the church is straightforward: travelers coming from the south on US-181 turn onto Refugio Street and continue to the end of the road, where the church stands on the right.
History of the Parish
Skidmore itself was founded in 1886 when rancher Frank O. Skidmore donated land for the townsite and a right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway. The Catholic community grew alongside the town. In May 1900, Bishop Peter Verdaguer confirmed 41 parishioners at Immaculate Conception, a key early milestone. The parish later absorbed the Catholic faithful of nearby Papalote, whose small church had been moved in 1910 and whose members were merged into Skidmore's parish during the early 1930s; the Papalote building was eventually torn down. Priests who served that earlier mission community included a Father Toomer, Father Joseph, and Father Goebels.
- Bishop Verdaguer confirmation of 41 parishioners, May 1900
- Merger of Papalote Catholic community in the early 1930s
- Early priests: Father Toomer, Father Joseph, Father Goebels (Papalote mission)
Weekend Mass
Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:30 PM, and Sunday Mass is at 9:00 AM.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM
Weekday Mass
Daily Mass is offered Monday, Thursday and Friday at 8:00 AM and on Wednesday at 12:05 PM.
- Monday 8:00 AM
- Wednesday 12:05 PM
- Thursday 8:00 AM
- Friday 8:00 AM
Holy Day Mass
On Holy Days of Obligation, Mass is offered at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM.
- Holy Days: 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM
Sacrament of Penance
Confessions are scheduled on Saturdays from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM (just before the Vigil Mass), with confessions also available by appointment at other times.
- Saturday 4:30 – 5:00 PM
- By appointment
Other Services
A Mass of Anointing is noted among the parish's pastoral offerings, providing the Sacrament of the Sick for those in need of healing or nearing the end of life.
- Mass of Anointing
Clergy and Leadership
Immaculate Conception is currently administered by Rev. Tom Goodwin, who serves the parish as its priest-administrator. As a small rural parish, the church is supported through the Diocese of Corpus Christi and reaches out to surrounding communities, including the faithful at St. Francis Xavier Mission in Tynan.
- Rev. Tom Goodwin — Administrator
Outreach: St. Francis Xavier Mission, Tynan
Immaculate Conception Parish also serves the Mission Church of St. Francis Xavier in Tynan, a small nearby community. Together the parish and mission extend Catholic presence and sacramental life to a wide swath of southern Bee County ranch country.
- St. Francis Xavier Mission — Tynan, Texas
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (361) 287-3256 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is listed through the Diocese of Corpus Christi's online parish finder and through its own web presence at iccskidmore.com.
- Phone: (361) 287-3256
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: iccskidmore.com
- Diocese directory: diocesecc.org/parishfinder