Immaculate Conception

About the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the mother church (seat) of the Diocese of Tyler in East Texas, located at 423 S. Broadway Avenue in Tyler, Texas. The parish was established in 1878 and the present Spanish Renaissance-style church was dedicated on March 17, 1935. When Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Tyler on December 12, 1986, the church was elevated to cathedral status and formally designated the Diocesan Cathedral on February 24, 1987. Today the Cathedral parish operates three worship sites — the main Cathedral, the Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul (on the Bishop Gorman campus), and St. Paul's Chapel in the Chancery — and runs St. Gregory Cathedral School, a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School.

Parish History

Tyler began to grow in the 1870s when the railroad arrived, bringing with it a small but determined band of Catholic families. Mission priests from Nacogdoches and Palestine traveled the territory on horseback to celebrate Mass and care for the scattered faithful. In 1878 the community was no longer considered missionary territory, and Immaculate Conception Parish was formally established as part of the Diocese of Galveston. By 1880 the Catholic population exceeded 200, and property was purchased at the corner of West Locust Street and North College Avenue, where a small wooden frame church was built. By the 1910s the congregation had outgrown its humble wooden structure. Fr. Patrick J. F. O'Beirne, pastor from 1914 to 1927, began campaigning for funds to build a larger church. The discovery of oil in East Texas brought an influx of Catholic workers, transforming desire into necessity. In 1927 Fr. Sebastian A. Samperi became pastor; after years of negotiation with Bishop Joseph P. Lynch of Dallas, the present Spanish Renaissance church at Front Street and South Broadway was dedicated on March 17, 1935. It was renovated in 1949 and 1978, and parish offices, a library, and a large meeting room were added in September 1984. In June 1978 the parish marked its 100th anniversary with three days of festivities. In December 1986 the church basement was named for Fr. Samperi. On December 12, 1986, Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Tyler from portions of the Dioceses of Dallas, Beaumont, and Galveston-Houston, and Immaculate Conception was designated its cathedral church — formally becoming the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on February 24, 1987. Since then the parish has continued to expand: the Cathedral Center was built in the early 1990s, and on December 8, 2011, Bishop Alvaro Corrada, S.J., dedicated the 700-seat Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul on the Bishop Gorman campus to relieve overflow crowds.

• 1878 — Parish established (Diocese of Galveston)
• 1880 — Wooden-frame church built at West Locust Street and North College Avenue
• 1914–1927 — Fr. Patrick J. F. O'Beirne campaigns for a new church
• 1927 — Fr. Sebastian A. Samperi becomes pastor
• March 17, 1935 — Present Spanish Renaissance church dedicated
• 1949 — First major renovation and redecoration
• 1946 — St. Gregory Cathedral School opens
• 1978 — Second renovation; parish celebrates its centennial
• September 1984 — Parish offices, library, and meeting room added
• December 1986 — Church basement named for Fr. Samperi
• December 12, 1986 — Diocese of Tyler created by Pope John Paul II
• February 24, 1987 — Immaculate Conception formally designated Cathedral
• Early 1990s — Cathedral Center built
• 1994 — St. Paul's Chapel created in Chancery Office
• December 8, 2011 — Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul dedicated by Bishop Alvaro Corrada
• February 24, 2025 — Most Reverend Gregory Kelly installed as fifth Bishop of Tyler

Architecture & Campus

The Cathedral was designed by Dallas architect Ralph A. Bryan in a simplified Spanish Renaissance / Churrigueresque mode — a style chosen to echo the Spanish heritage of Texas. Bryan was concurrently working on the design team for the Texas Centennial Exposition in Fair Park. The facade emphasizes strong verticality through thick piers rising to pinnacles above a scrolled gable. A four-stage corner tower rises at the front, the upper two stages being open belfries topped by a tiled dome. Prominent buttresses articulate the long nave, with round-arched windows between them. The Cathedral is built of brick in Mission Revival / Spanish Colonial Revival style. Adjacent on the extended campus is St. Gregory Cathedral School (1946, architect Shirley Simons) at 500 S. College Avenue, which establishes its own identity with a contrasting Georgian style. In the early 1990s the parish added the Cathedral Center (meeting and banquet rooms), and in 2011 a 700-seat Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul was dedicated on the Bishop Gorman campus.

• Architect: Ralph A. Bryan (Dallas)
• Style: Spanish Renaissance / Churrigueresque; Mission Revival / Spanish Colonial Revival
• Materials: Brick
• Notable features: Four-stage corner bell tower with tiled dome, scrolled gable with pinnacles, prominent buttresses, round-arched nave windows
• St. Gregory Cathedral School (1946, Shirley Simons) — Georgian style, 500 S. College Ave.
• Cathedral Center — meeting and banquet rooms (early 1990s)
• Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul — 700 seats, on Bishop Gorman campus, dedicated 2011

Clergy & Parish Staff

The Cathedral is pastored by Very Rev. Robert H. "Hank" Lanik, who serves both as Rector and Pastor of the parish and as Vicar General of the Diocese of Tyler. He is assisted by three parochial vicars and five deacons. The diocesan bishop, Most Reverend Gregory Kelly, has his see at the Cathedral. The parish staff includes directors of faith formation, liturgy and evangelization, finance, marriage formation, music, and sacramental records, plus dedicated English- and Spanish-language administrative assistants.

• Most Rev. Gregory Kelly — Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler
• Very Rev. Robert H. "Hank" Lanik — Rector and Pastor (also Vicar General)
• Fr. Steven Chabarria — Parochial Vicar
• Fr. Christopher Orajiaka — Parochial Vicar
• Fr. Christian Corona — Parochial Vicar
• Deacons: Fred Arrambidez, Rufino Cortez, Steve Curry, Ramiro Martinez, Hal Williams
• Patrick Cunningham — Business & Operations
• Peggy Hammett — Christian Initiation & Sacramental Preparation
• Lucia Lopez — Director of Liturgy & Evangelization; English Infant Baptism
• Dyana Noriega — Faith Formation & Spanish Christian Initiation
• Sr. Gabriela Delgado — Spanish Infant Baptism, Quinceañeras & Hispanic Ministries
• Jodi Todd — Marriage Formation
• Brian Braquet — Music Director at the Cathedral
• Suzanne Liles — Music Director at the Chapel
• Trinidad Garcia — Cathedral Youth Groups
• Erin Mone — JP2 Catholic College Campus Ministry
• Bertha Garay — Parish & Sacramental Records
• Adriana Gonzalez — Administrative Assistant
• Jeri Negem — Financial Coordinator
• Gabriele Oogjen — English Admin. Assistant for Faith Formation
• Veronica Lemus — Spanish Admin. Assistant for Faith Formation

Ministries & Faith Life

The Cathedral supports a wide range of ministries for English-, Spanish-, and Vietnamese-speaking parishioners. The parish runs the St. John Paul II Catholic College Campus Ministry (JP2), which hosts weekly and Sunday Mass, Bible studies, adoration, retreats, conferences, service opportunities, and social events for students of all faiths from Tyler-area colleges (coordinator: Erin Mone; website tylercatholic.org; Instagram @johnpaul2ccm). Cathedral Youth Groups are coordinated by Trinidad Garcia. Faith Formation is offered in both English and Spanish, with separate Christian Initiation (RCIA) tracks led by Peggy Hammett (English) and Dyana Noriega (Spanish). The Hispanic ministry — led by Sr. Gabriela Delgado — coordinates Spanish-language infant baptism preparation and quinceañeras. The Music Ministry has two directors: Brian Braquet at the Cathedral and Suzanne Liles at the Chapel.

• Eucharistic Adoration (Cathedral and Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul)
• St. John Paul II Catholic College Campus Ministry (JP2)
• Cathedral Youth Groups
• Faith Formation (English & Spanish)
• Christian Initiation / RCIA (English & Spanish)
• Infant Baptism prep (English & Spanish)
• Marriage Formation
• Quinceañeras (Hispanic ministry)
• Music Ministry (Cathedral and Chapel)
• Hispanic Ministries
• Liturgy & Evangelization
• Pastoral Council

Sacraments

The Cathedral celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Infant Baptism is offered in both English (Lucia Lopez) and Spanish (Sr. Gabriela Delgado). First Penance / Reconciliation is available for all baptized Catholics above the age of reason (around 7 years old); confession is heard at the scheduled weekly times or by appointment through the Cathedral Office. Marriage preparation is coordinated by Jodi Todd (Marriage Formation). Christian Initiation (RCIA) is offered in both English and Spanish for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church. Quinceañeras are celebrated through the Hispanic ministry, and Anointing of the Sick and Last Rites are available on request through the Cathedral Office.

• Infant Baptism (English & Spanish)
• First Penance / Reconciliation
• Confirmation (through Faith Formation)
• Eucharist (Mass schedule above)
• Marriage / Matrimony preparation
• Anointing of the Sick & Last Rites (by appointment)
• Holy Orders (vocations discernment supported)
• RCIA / Christian Initiation (English & Spanish)
• Quinceañeras

Location, Hours & Visiting

The Cathedral is located at 423 S. Broadway Avenue, Tyler, TX 75702, at the corner of South Broadway Avenue and Front Street — one of the busiest intersections in Tyler. The Cathedral building is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and the parish office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul is located at 1435 ESE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701, on the Bishop Gorman Regional Catholic High School campus between Hwy. 69 and Hwy. 110. Visitors are welcome at all scheduled liturgies, and the parish office can be reached at (903) 592-1617 or [email protected].

• Cathedral: 423 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler, TX 75702
• Cathedral building open Mon–Fri, 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
• Parish office open Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul: 1435 ESE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
• Phone: (903) 592-1617
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://thecathedral.info/

Diocese of Tyler

The Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Tyler, the Roman Catholic diocese serving the Catholic faithful of northeast Texas. The diocese was created by Pope John Paul II on December 12, 1986, from portions of the Dioceses of Dallas, Beaumont, and Galveston-Houston, and Immaculate Conception was formally designated its cathedral on February 24, 1987. The current bishop, Most Reverend Gregory Kelly, was appointed the fifth Bishop of Tyler by Pope Francis on December 20, 2024, and installed on February 24, 2025. The diocesan offices (Chancery) are located at 1015 E. Southeast Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701.

• Diocese created December 12, 1986 by Pope John Paul II
• Formed from portions of the Dioceses of Dallas, Beaumont, and Galveston-Houston
• Immaculate Conception designated cathedral February 24, 1987
• Fifth and current bishop: Most Reverend Gregory Kelly (appointed Dec. 20, 2024; installed Feb. 24, 2025)
• Diocesan website: https://www.dioceseoftyler.org/
• Chancery: 1015 E. Southeast Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701