About Nuestra Senora de San Juan de Los Lagos · Corpus Christi, Texas
Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Corpus Christi serving a vibrant, predominantly Spanish-speaking community at 1755 Frio Street on Corpus Christi's south side (Los Encinos neighborhood). It was established in 1967 as a mission under the title Mary, Mother of the Church and was later elevated to parish status in 2010 when it was rededicated under the title of the beloved Mexican Marian shrine of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos in Jalisco. The parish is led by Rev. Juan F. Gamez and celebrated its annual feast-day tradition with the help of Deacon Emeritus Manny Maldonado and ministries such as the Ministerio de Evangelización.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos (Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos), titled 'Madre de la Iglesia' (Mother of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Juan F. Gamez (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia is a warm, bilingual parish rooted in the spiritual heritage of Mexican Catholicism and dedicated to the pastoral care of the Hispanic community in Corpus Christi. With daily and Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish, weekly confession, Thursday Hora Santa with Eucharistic Adoration, and ministries like the Ministerio de Evangelización, it offers a place to deepen faith while keeping strong cultural and Marian traditions — including the beloved annual fiesta of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos on February 2 — alive across generations.
Mass times at Nuestra Senora de San Juan de Los Lagos
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45–5:15 PM
- After daily Masses
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 5:55 PM (Hora Santa; Mass at 6:00 PM)
Parish Identity & Mission
Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Corpus Christi serving a vibrant, predominantly Spanish-speaking community at 1755 Frio Street in Corpus Christi's Los Encinos neighborhood. The community began in 1967 as Mission Mary, Mother of the Church and was elevated to parish status in 2010, when it was rededicated under the title of the beloved Mexican shrine of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos. The parish is led by Administrator Rev. Juan F. Gamez with the assistance of Deacon Emeritus Manny Maldonado.
- Founded 1967 as Mission Mary, Mother of the Church
- Elevated to parish in 2010 and renamed Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Administrator: Rev. Juan F. Gamez
- Deacon Emeritus: Manny Maldonado
History
Established in 1967 to serve Corpus Christi's growing south-side Hispanic population, the community began life as Mission Mary, Mother of the Church. It operated as a mission for more than four decades until 2010, when Bishop Edmond Carmody rededicated it as a parish under the title Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia. Around that time, Bishop Carmody also arranged for an image of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos — linked to the miraculous statue venerated by Pope St. John Paul II at the Jalisco basilica — to be gifted to the Corpus Christi community to nurture Hispanic ministry and unite the people. The parish has continued that devotion ever since, celebrating it annually on February 2 (Candelaria) with the ritual cambio de vestido of the Virgin, the Holy Rosary, a procession, and Holy Mass. By 2024–2025 the new Bishop of Corpus Christi, Mario Alberto Avilés, was joining the community for the annual event.
- 1967 — Established as Mission Mary, Mother of the Church
- 2010 — Elevated to parish and renamed under the title of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos
- 2009–2010 — Bishop Edmond Carmody initiates devotion with the Marian image
- Ongoing — Annual February 2 fiesta with cambio de vestido, rosary, procession, and Mass
- 2024–2025 — Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés participates in the annual celebration
Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish supports a Hispanic evangelization ministry (Ministerio de Evangelización) and offers Sunday School for the formation of children in the faith. Members of the evangelization ministry, such as Romelia Dorris, have publicly spoken of the parish's role in uniting the Hispanic Catholic community of Corpus Christi around the Marian devotion to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.
- Ministerio de Evangelización (Evangelization Ministry)
- Sunday School / Catechesis for children
- Bilingual pastoral outreach to the Hispanic community
Clergy & Leadership
The parish is administered by Rev. Juan F. Gamez and is served by Deacon Emeritus Manny Maldonado. Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés is the current diocesan bishop of Corpus Christi, succeeding Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey; Bishop Edmond Carmody (bishop 2000–2010) initiated the devotion that gave the parish its current Marian identity.
- Administrator: Rev. Juan F. Gamez
- Deacon Emeritus: Manny Maldonado
- Diocesan Bishop: Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés
- Parish founder of the modern devotion: Bishop Edmond Carmody (in office 2000–2010)
Visit & Contact
The parish church is located at 1755 Frio Street in Corpus Christi (zip 78417), in the Los Encinos neighborhood on the city's south side. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at (361) 852-0249; the office fax is (361) 852-8463. The parish does not maintain a dedicated website, but is listed in the Diocese of Corpus Christi Parish Finder, and shares news and announcements through its Facebook page.
- Address: 1755 Frio Street, Corpus Christi, TX 78417
- Phone: (361) 852-0249
- Fax: (361) 852-8463
- Diocese listing: https://diocesecc.org/parishfinder/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanjuancctx/
Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos
The parish takes its name from the Marian shrine in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Mexico — the second-most-visited Catholic pilgrimage site in Mexico after the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The original statue, donated to the city in 1542 by Franciscan friar Miguel de Bolonia, has been considered miraculous since colonial times. Its principal feast is the Presentation of Jesus / Candelaria on February 2, with additional solemn celebrations on August 15 (Assumption) and December 8 (Immaculate Conception), and the entire month of May is observed with pilgrim processions.
- Major shrine: Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Mexico
- Feast days: February 2, August 15, December 8 (and May devotions)
- Original image venerated by Pope St. John Paul II during his pastoral visit to San Juan de los Lagos
- Tens of millions of pilgrims visit the Mexican shrine each year
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Juan F. Gamez
Current Administrator (listed on parish directory records through 2021 and referenced in diocese parish finder listings)