About Notre Dame · Kerrville, Texas
Notre Dame Catholic Church is a vibrant parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio serving Kerrville and the surrounding Texas Hill Country. Located at the corner of Water and Washington Streets in downtown Kerrville, the parish offers weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, a daily Mass schedule, Perpetual Adoration, and an extensive parish school (Notre Dame Catholic School). Its mission, as stated in parish publications, is to glorify God by being a faithful, inclusive community who, in the name of Jesus Christ, enables all to grow in their relationship with God and with one another through witness, worship and service.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Our Lady (Notre Dame / Our Lady of the University of Notre Dame, in honor of Father Kemper's alma mater)
- Rector
- Rev. Scott Janysek
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
Notre Dame offers the rare combination of a historic Texas Hill Country parish with the full slate of programs a family could need: a daily and weekend Mass schedule in both English and Spanish, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, a thriving Catholic school (PK–6), Catechesis of the Good Shepherd faith formation for children, Life Teen youth ministry, RCIA, ACTS retreats, dozens of lay ministries (Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Guadalupanas, Cursillos, Pro-Life, music, hospitality, and more), and outreach to the wider community through a jail ministry, food pantry, and the Raphael Community Free Clinic. Joining means plugging into a community that has served Kerrville continuously for more than a century and that welcomes newcomers warmly through its registration process.
Mass times at Notre Dame
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM to 4:45 PM
- Also available by appointment (call the Parish Office)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration is open at all times outside of weekend Masses. Call the office to schedule a specific weekly hour.
Parish History
Notre Dame traces its roots to 1892, when Catholic worship in Kerrville was organized as a mission called St. Mary of the Assumption. Visiting priests traveled by horse and buggy to celebrate Mass in outlying Hill Country communities such as Hunt, Turtle Creek, Harper, Ingram, Center Point, Barksdale, and Morris Ranch. The mission became a full parish in 1911 under its first resident pastor, Father Henry Michael Kemper, who relocated the frame church to Main and Washington, founded Notre Dame Institute school, and built the parish into the spiritual center of Catholic life in Kerr County. In 1935 the parish took the name 'Notre Dame' in honor of Father Kemper's alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. A Texas Historical Commission marker was dedicated on March 19, 2011 to mark the parish centennial.
- 1892 – Mission organized as St. Mary of the Assumption
- 1911 – Elevated to parish status under Fr. Henry Michael Kemper
- 1915 – Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and School founded for Hispanic Catholics
- 1935 – New concrete-and-stucco church built; parish renamed 'Notre Dame'
- 1955 – Our Lady of Guadalupe merges with Notre Dame
- 1979 – Social Center built
- 1990 – New, larger church building completed
- 2011 – Texas Historical Commission marker dedicated for centennial
Parish Staff and Clergy
The pastoral team is led by the pastor and supported by associate clergy, deacons, and a sizable lay staff in the Pastoral Center. Recent parish bulletins and Mass schedules list Fr. Scott Janysek as pastor. Notre Dame has historically been served by a multicultural team, including a Parochial Vicar for Hispanic Ministry and several permanent deacons.
- Rev. Scott Janysek – Pastor
- Fr. Rafael – Associate/Visiting Priest (weekday Mass)
- Monsignor Michael J. Boulette – Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. David Wagner – former pastor (Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter)
- Rev. Gustavo Montanez – former Parochial Vicar / Hispanic Ministry
- Deacons: Daniel Arriaga, Charles Domingues, Sonny Kaufhold, Juan Martinez
- Eva Bill – Parish Secretary
- Lezlie Sirianni – Coordinator of Music
- Denise Jenschke – Coordinator of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd & Sacrament Preparation
Music & Liturgy Ministry
Music Ministry proclaims and shares the Catholic faith through sung prayer at weekend liturgies and special services. All parishioners are invited to share their musical gifts; weekly rehearsals plus a 30–45 minute warm-up before Mass are the typical time commitment. Singers need not read music; instrumentalists should be proficient on their instrument.
- Joyful Noise – Saturday 5:00 PM and Sunday 7:45/11:00 AM; eclectic repertoire
- El Coro – Sunday 9:15 AM Spanish Mass and Spanish funerals
- A New Song – Sunday 5:00 PM Life Teen Mass; contemporary repertoire
- Resurrection Choir – English funeral Masses
- Combined choirs for Confirmation, Deanery, and Archdiocesan events
- Coordinator: Lezlie Sirianni ([email protected])
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Office of Faith Formation coordinates programs for children, youth, and adults, including RCIA for adults, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children, First Eucharist preparation, Jr./Sr. High Life Teen ministry, and Catholic Kids Camp (Vacation Bible School). Baptisms are scheduled through the Youth & Family Ministry office.
- RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- First Eucharist Preparation
- Jr. & Sr. High Teen Ministry (Life Teen)
- Catholic Kids Camp (VBS) – June, PK4 through 6th grade
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Natural Family Planning instruction
Notre Dame Catholic School
Notre Dame Catholic School has been part of the parish since Father Kemper founded Notre Dame Institute in the 1910s. The school shares the parish campus on Main Street, including a gymnasium added to the campus in recent decades, and continues the parish's century-old tradition of faith-based education in Kerrville.
- Faith-based PK–6 education
- Athletics and Booster Club support
- Parent-Teacher Club (PTC) and School Council
- Catholic Kids Camp summer program uses the Notre Dame Gym
Parish Retreats & Devotions
Notre Dame hosts ACTS retreats (Adoration, Community, Theology, Service) — three-day, three-night lay-led Catholic retreats — as well as Cursillos, Guadalupanas gatherings, and other small-group faith experiences. The parish's Perpetual Adoration chapel anchors ongoing devotion, and special holy-day Masses (such as the bilingual Mass on the Feast of the Assumption) bring the community together for major celebrations.
- English Women's ACTS Retreat (April 2026 at Knott Creek Falls, Harper TX)
- Cursillos movement
- Guadalupanas
- El Sembrador (Hispanic ministry)
- Perpetual Adoration
- Assumption of Mary – 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM Bilingual
Outreach & Community Service
Outreach is woven into parish identity: Notre Dame has a century-long record of community service that began with Father Kemper's civic leadership and continues today through a food pantry, jail ministry, the Raphael Community Free Clinic, and St. Vincent de Paul Society. Additional ministries include Knights of Columbus, Pro-Life, HOPE, and the Guadalupanas, all supporting neighbors in need across Kerr County.
- Jail Ministry
- Parish Food Pantry
- Raphael Community Free Clinic
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Knights of Columbus Council
- Notre Dame Pro-Life
- HOPE
- Holy Sew-n-Sews (charitable sewing)
- Bread Bakers
- Ministry to the Sick
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments of the Church. Couples are asked to contact the pastor at least six months in advance of a wedding; families seeking quinceañeras are asked to call the Pastoral Center six months ahead; baptisms are scheduled through the Youth & Family Ministry office.
- Baptism – (830) 896-4233
- First Eucharist & Reconciliation – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Confirmation – Life Teen
- Marriage – six months' notice to the pastor
- Quinceañera – six months' notice to the Pastoral Center
- Anointing of the Sick / Ministry to the Sick
- RCIA for adult initiation
Get Involved & Parish Life
Newcomers are warmly invited to register as parishioners via the Join the Parish page on the parish website, contacting Parish Secretary Eva Bill. More than forty lay ministries and organizations offer ways to serve, from liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, sacristans) to fellowship (hospitality, greeters, café), charity (St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry), and community building (Women of Notre Dame, Knights of Columbus, ACTS Core).
- Parish Registration via notredamechurch.cc/join-the-parish
- Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sacristans
- Greeters, Ushers, Hospitality, Café
- Women of Notre Dame
- Knights of Columbus
- ACTS Core (Janet Ontiveros, President)
- Bus Transportation Ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Henry Michael Kemper1911–1955
First resident pastor; elevated the 1892 St. Mary of the Assumption mission to parish status, moved the church to Main and Washington, founded Notre Dame Institute school, and in 1935 oversaw construction of a new concrete-and-stucco church, renaming the parish 'Notre Dame' after his alma mater. Served 44 years until his death in 1957.
- Rev. Monsignor Michael J. Boulette1993–2004; 2010–2016
Celebrated 40 years as a priest; served at Notre Dame from January 1993–2004 and again July 2010–July 2016, when he left to become founding director of St. Peter's Upon the Water spiritual direction center in Ingram.
- Rev. David Wagner2016–
Former Episcopal priest who converted and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on Aug. 24, 2014 by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller; on loan to the Archdiocese from the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Succeeded Fr. Boulette in July 2016.
- Rev. Scott JanysekCurrent pastor
Currently serving as pastor per recent parish Mass schedule listings.