About Our Lady of Good Counsel · Brownsville, Texas
Our Lady of Good Counsel is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Brownsville, located at 1055 Military Highway on the south side of Brownsville, Texas. Founded on June 22, 1967 by Bishop Humberto S. Medeiros, the parish was created by combining three earlier missions (San Pedro, Garden Park, and Villa Nueva) into one community of roughly 2,800 parishioners. Today the parish serves a bilingual faithful with weekday and Sunday Masses in English, Spanish, and bilingual formats, weekly Saturday confessions, monthly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration, and a religious education program led by a full parish staff. Pastor Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC., and Deacon Guadalupe Garcia staff the church together with a parish office team.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Counsel (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC. (effective 05/27/2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Our Lady of Good Counsel gives Brownsville Catholics a true bilingual spiritual home: Sunday Mass is offered in Spanish (8 a.m.), bilingual (10 a.m.), English (12 p.m.), and Spanish again (6 p.m.), with a Saturday 5 p.m. English vigil and a daily 8 a.m. weekday Mass, so working families and Spanish-speaking neighbors alike can find a place at the altar. The parish supports its members through Saturday confessions (3:30–4:30 p.m. and by appointment), monthly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, a religious education program led by Gracie Naranjo, and a staffed parish office open Monday through Friday. With deep roots in the Las Prietas/Garden Park/San Pedro/Villa Nueva mission communities and active pastoral leadership by Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC., and Deacon Guadalupe Garcia, the parish is a welcoming place for visitors, returning Catholics, and new residents in Brownsville.
Mass times at Our Lady of Good Counsel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday — 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (1st Thursday of the month, in the church)
Parish History & Patron
Our Lady of Good Counsel was formally established as a parish on June 22, 1967 by Bishop Humberto S. Medeiros of the Diocese of Brownsville. It was created by uniting three earlier missions — San Pedro (formerly of Our Lady of Guadalupe), Garden Park (formerly of St. Joseph), and Villa Nueva (also a former mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe) — and Rev. Joseph Mosel, OMI, was named first pastor. The name honors the Madonna and Child image said to have miraculously appeared at a chapel in Genazzano, Italy on April 23, 1667, an image the church commemorates each year at this time. The parish still lives on the Las Prietas Chapel property that began construction in 1963, originally built under local contractor Fernando Guerrero on one acre donated by the Champion family, with the diocese and parish later acquiring the surrounding thirteen acres.
- Founded: June 22, 1967 by Bishop Humberto S. Medeiros
- Building origin: Las Prietas Chapel construction began April 24, 1963
- Land donation by the family of Mr. Alejandro Werbinski Champion
- Merged missions: San Pedro, Garden Park, and Villa Nueva
- Founding pastor: Rev. Joseph Mosel, OMI (~2,800 parishioners)
Clergy, Staff & Parish Office
The parish is served by Pastor Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC. (effective May 27, 2023) and Deacon Guadalupe Garcia, with a parish office team that handles day-to-day operations, faith formation, and grounds keeping. The parish office is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and can be reached at (956) 541-8341 or by email at [email protected].
- Pastor: Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC. ([email protected])
- Deacon: Deacon Guadalupe Garcia
- Secretary/Bookkeeper: Sandra Castillo
- Part-time Receptionist: Rosie Gonzalez
- Maintenance: Jose Luis Hernandez (full-time) and Guillermo Esparza (part-time)
- Housekeeper: Laura Morales
- Religious Education: Gracie Naranjo
- Office hours: M–F 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for children and youth is coordinated through the parish's religious education program under Gracie Naranjo, who serves as the parish's Religious Education lead. Families interested in registering their children for CCD classes, sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation), or adult faith formation should contact the parish office during regular hours.
- Religious Education (CCD) program for parish children
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Adult faith formation inquiries handled through the parish office
Diocese of Brownsville
Our Lady of Good Counsel is one of more than 50 parishes in the Diocese of Brownsville, which covers the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is led by Bishop Daniel Flores. The parish links to the diocesan website for current devotionals and information from the bishop, and parishioners are encouraged to follow diocesan events and announcements. The parish was one of several established by Bishop Humberto S. Medeiros during his tenure (1966–1982), who grew the diocese from 35 to 58 parishes.
- Diocese: Brownsville (Rio Grande Valley, South Texas)
- Diocesan bishop: Most Rev. Daniel Flores
- Diocesan website: cdob.org
- Parish listed in the Diocese of Brownsville parish finder since founding in 1967
Visit, Register & Get Involved
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. Anyone new to the parish or interested in joining a ministry can contact the office or fill out the online contact form on the parish website at olgcb.org to receive a follow-up. The parish encourages registration so the community can better serve each family with sacraments, faith formation, and pastoral care.
- New parishioner registration via the contact form on olgcb.org
- Ministry sign-ups coordinated through the parish office
- Online presence: parish website olgcb.org and Facebook page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Mosel, OMI1967 (founding pastor)
Appointed first pastor when Bishop Humberto S. Medeiros combined the San Pedro, Garden Park, and Villa Nueva missions to form the parish on June 22, 1967.
- Rev. Rene Gaytan
Listed as Parish Administrator on third-party parish directories.
- Rev. Manoj Kumar Nayak, SS.CC.2023–present
Effective 05/27/2023 per the Diocese of Brownsville parish listing.