About Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission · Yancey, Texas
Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the rural community of Yancey in Medina County, Texas. It is a mission parish of Holy Cross Catholic Church in neighboring D'Hanis, and together the two communities share one pastor, one staff, and one faith family in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The parish traces its roots to 1908, when its sacramental registers first began (the earliest surviving register in the diocesan archives is dated 1909–1956), and today its members gather each Sunday at 11:30 AM for Mass at the country church on County Road 743.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Rector
- Fr. John Cyriac, MSFS
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio (Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio)
Why belong here
Immaculate Heart of Mary offers what many larger parishes cannot: a close-knit, small-town Catholic community where every face is known and every ministry matters. Members gather for Sunday Mass at 11:30 AM, pray the Rosary before Mass, and share in devotions like the Thursday evening Holy Hour and Divine Mercy Chaplet, while still benefiting from the full sacramental and faith-formation life of the parent parish in D'Hanis — including Faith Formation, CYO youth ministry, ACTS retreats, Guadalupana Society, Music Ministry, Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Bereavement, and a Perpetual Care Cemetery Committee. For Catholics in the Yancey area, it's a chance to live the faith together across generations of longtime Medina County families and newer arrivals who appreciate the mission's quiet, reverent country character.
Mass times at Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays before Mass: 10:50–11:15 AM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Holy Hour and Divine Mercy Chaplet — Thursday 7:00 PM (8:00 PM)
About Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission
Immaculate Heart of Mary is the Roman Catholic mission church serving Yancey, a small rural community in Medina County, Texas. It is a mission of Holy Cross Catholic Church in nearby D'Hanis, and the two parishes are served by the same pastor and staff under the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The mission gathers for Sunday Mass at 11:30 AM at 213 County Road 743, with confession heard before Mass and a Thursday evening Holy Hour with the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- Mission church of Holy Cross Catholic Church, D'Hanis, TX
- Located in Medina County, Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Sunday Mass at 11:30 AM
- Founded in 1908
History of the Parish
According to the GCatholic directory, Immaculate Heart of Mary was established in 1908, and surviving sacramental registers for the mission (held by the Archdiocese of San Antonio) cover the years 1909 through 1956. The parish's own website, on its History of Holy Cross and Immaculate Heart of Mary page, currently notes: 'We are still working on getting a history together for Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Yancey.' A 170th-anniversary video produced for Holy Cross in D'Hanis (by Joe Fohn, with photographs gathered by Tammy Kossaeth) traces the broader Catholic story of the D'Hanis and Yancey area.
- Established 1908 (GCatholic)
- Parish registers 1909–1956 (Archdiocese of San Antonio archives)
- Spiritually paired with Holy Cross, D'Hanis (founded 1847 by Alsatian settlers)
Mission Statement
The shared mission statement of Holy Cross and Immaculate Heart of Mary reads: 'We, the communities of Holy Cross Catholic Church in D'Hanis, Texas and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Yancey, TX, believe that God comes first, and with the Holy Cross as our guide, we are reminded of his love and sacrifice. We are committed to sharing our faith, spirituality, gifts and talents by educating our families and by welcoming visitors to our community. We strive to become one parish family by living our faith, serving God and one another.'
Parish Staff and Clergy
Holy Cross and Immaculate Heart of Mary share a single pastoral team. The pastor is Fr. John Cyriac, MSFS, installed by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller on January 7, 2023. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, a deacon, and lay staff handling administration, finances, and religious education.
- Fr. John Cyriac, MSFS — Pastor
- Fr. Lajarus Soreng — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Samuel Heinz
- Christine Ortega — Administrative Assistant (ext. 1001)
- Peggy Bendele — Bookkeeper (ext. 1002)
- Sheila Rothe — Director of Religious Education / Faith Formation (ext. 1003)
Ministries and Organizations
Immaculate Heart of Mary shares in the ministries of Holy Cross Parish. Faith Formation, youth ministry (CYO), Music Ministry, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers, Greeters/Ushers, the Guadalupana Society, the Altar Society, the Bereavement Ministry, the Rosary Ministry, the Men's Prayer Group, and the Holy Cross Perpetual Care Cemetery Committee all serve the combined parish family. The parish also partners with St. John's Parish in Hondo to sponsor ACTS retreats for men, ladies, and youth.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- CYO Youth Ministry
- Music Ministry
- Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers
- Greeters / Ushers, Altar Society, Bereavement Ministry
- Rosary Ministry, Men's Prayer Group, Guadalupana Society
- Holy Cross Perpetual Care Cemetery Committee
- ACTS Retreats (with St. John's, Hondo)
- Pastoral Council and Finance Council
- Vacation Bible School
Sacraments and Devotions
The mission offers the Sunday Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass each Sunday. A weekly Thursday Holy Hour with the Divine Mercy Chaplet deepens devotion, while the Rosary is prayed 30 minutes before each weekend Mass. A Healing Service is celebrated on the last Wednesday of the month (at the parent parish in D'Hanis).
- Sunday Mass at 11:30 AM
- Reconciliation — Sundays 10:50–11:15 AM, or by appointment
- Holy Hour and Divine Mercy Chaplet — Thursdays 7:00 PM
- Healing Service — last Wednesday of the month during Mass
- Rosary before weekend Mass
Archdiocese and Governance
Immaculate Heart of Mary is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. The parish participates in the annual Archbishop's Appeal, supporting shared ministries across the archdiocese — including campus ministry at local colleges and universities. The pastor of Holy Cross and Immaculate Heart of Mary is appointed by and installed on behalf of the Archbishop of San Antonio (currently Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS).
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Participates in the Archbishop's Appeal
- Pastoral appointments made by the Archbishop
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Cyriac, MSFSInstalled January 7, 2023 — present
Installed by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, as Pastor of Holy Cross Parish with responsibility for Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Yancey.