About Mary Queen of Heaven · Malakoff, Texas
Mary Queen of Heaven is a small Catholic parish serving Malakoff, Texas, and the surrounding rural communities of Henderson County in the Diocese of Tyler. Founded in 1996, the parish was created from a converted former leather factory and serves roughly 125 families — a mix of older, mostly retired white Catholics and younger Hispanic families working in agriculture, ranching, and construction. The present-day worship space was rebuilt from the ground up after a 2013 fire destroyed the original building and was dedicated in January 2016 by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland. Mary Queen of Heaven is notable for offering the sacraments in three languages — English, Spanish, and Latin — and for maintaining a parish cemetery on its grounds.
- Established
- 1996
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title 'Queen of Heaven')
- Rector
- Father Patrick Fenton
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
Mary Queen of Heaven offers a rare combination in rural East Texas: a trilingual Catholic community — with Masses in English, Spanish, and Latin — in a deliberately beautiful worship space that its parishioners rebuilt from the ashes. The parish supports families through faith formation programs for youth, adults, and families, the RCIA process for those entering the Church, an active Knights of Columbus Council #14993, a Women's Guild, and a Friday-evening Rosary group that meets for prayer and potluck fellowship. The parish also maintains an on-site cemetery and serves a wide rural area including Malakoff, Eustace, and surrounding communities.
Mass times at Mary Queen of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
- Sunday 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office
History of Mary Queen of Heaven
Mary Queen of Heaven was founded in 1996, when the recently created Diocese of Tyler responded to a petition from 60 Catholics asking for a church in Malakoff, a small East Texas town of about 2,000 people. With limited funding, the diocese adapted a donated 10,000-square-foot former leather factory, brick-faced and subdivided into a worship space, classrooms, and a parish hall. In 2013, a car crashed into the sacristy and a resulting fire destroyed the building. Over the next four years the parish — supported by a Catholic Extension Society matching grant, a fundraising gala, and the return of a former pastor, Father Anthony McLaughlin, to oversee construction — built a new church on the same rural property. Bishop Joseph E. Strickland dedicated the rebuilt church in January 2016.
- 1996 — Parish established as a converted former leather factory, Diocese of Tyler
- 2013 — Vehicle crash and fire destroy the original church
- 2016 — Rebuilt church dedicated by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Architecture and Sacred Art
The reconstructed 2016 church was designed for 'noble simplicity,' in Father McLaughlin's words. Several furnishings were rescued from the fire and restored, notably the altar and the Stations of the Cross (a later project by the firm Ziegler, entitled 'From Fire to Resurrection'). New stained-glass windows depict the Glorious Mysteries, the Prodigal Son, and Christ the High Priest. A copy of Diego Velázquez's 'Coronation of the Blessed Virgin by the Blessed Trinity' hangs above the altar as the centerpiece — fitting, the pastor noted, because 'this church is built to honor its patroness.'
- Stained glass: Glorious Mysteries, Prodigal Son, Christ the High Priest
- Restored altar and Stations of the Cross from the original building
- Replica of Velázquez's 'Coronation of the Blessed Virgin by the Blessed Trinity' above the altar
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Father Patrick Fenton, Parish Priest. The Sacred Music program is coordinated by Ms. Maria Ogburn, and the office is staffed by Administrative Assistant Carol Leonard.
- Father Patrick Fenton — Parish Priest (patrickdfentongmail.com)
- Ms. Maria Ogburn — Sacred Music Coordinator
- Carol Leonard — Administrative Assistant (Ext. 102, [email protected])
Devotions and Prayer Life
The parish's long-running Rosary Group gathers every Friday evening at 6:00 PM at the church for prayer, followed by a potluck dinner — open to everyone. During Lent the time shifts to 5:15 PM, followed by the Stations of the Cross in English at 6:00 PM. Refreshments are also served after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass in the parish hall.
- Friday Rosary Group — 6:00 PM with potluck (5:15 PM in Lent + Stations of the Cross)
- Sunday hospitality after 10:00 AM Mass
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Mary Queen of Heaven offers faith formation programs for youth, adults, and families, along with the R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for those seeking to enter the Catholic Church. The parish also publishes a 'The Sacraments' page covering the usual sacramental preparation: Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick.
- Faith Formation (youth, adults, families)
- R.C.I.A.
- Preparation for Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick
Parish Organizations
Lay life at Mary Queen of Heaven is anchored by two well-known parish organizations: the Mary Queen of Heaven Women's Guild and the parish's Knights of Columbus Council #14993 (which maintains its own site at mqhkofc.org and runs family socials, rosaries, and parish-cooked meals). The parish also runs its Friday Rosary Group as an open parish ministry.
- MQH Women's Guild
- Knights of Columbus Council #14993
- Rosary Group
- Sacred Music ministry
Mary Queen of Heaven Cemetery
Mary Queen of Heaven maintains an on-site Catholic cemetery on the parish property at 2269 County Road 1703, in addition to its church, classrooms, and parish hall. The parish handles Funeral Masses and burials there — a visible element of the parish's longtime presence in Henderson County.
Community and Diocese
Mary Queen of Heaven is one of the smaller parishes of the Diocese of Tyler, a diocese established just ten years before the parish itself. Roughly 125 families make up the parish: a mix of older, largely retired white parishioners and younger Hispanic families working in agriculture, ranching, and construction. The Henderson County area is one of the poorest in Texas, which the parish points to when describing the rebuilding of its church as 'an outward symbol of the importance of beauty and God in our lives.'
- Diocese of Tyler
- Approximately 125 registered families
- Serves Malakoff, Eustace, and rural Henderson County
Getting Involved / Contact
Parishioners and visitors can register through the parish's online Church Registration Form (available in both English and Spanish) and sign up for Flocknote to receive news and updates. Online Giving is available through the parish website, and the parish office can be reached by phone or email.
- Church Registration Form (English and Spanish)
- Flocknote sign-up for parish news
- Online Giving through mqhmalakoff.org
- Parish office: (903) 489-2366
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Anthony McLaughlin
Former pastor who returned to Mary Queen of Heaven after the 2013 fire to oversee construction of the rebuilt church, which was dedicated in January 2016. Described the rebuilt church as having 'a noble simplicity.'