About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Mcallen, Texas
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas, offers a welcoming, bilingual community rooted in Catholic faith and service. Established in 1967 and dedicated in 1968, the parish provides daily Mass, Adoration, and sacramental ministry in both English and Spanish. It serves as a spiritual refuge amid life’s busyness, offering catechetical education, parish ministries, and outreach rooted in the mission of seeking the lost and bringing back the strayed. The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Martin De La Cruz and operates from its historic grounds at 2209 Kendlewood, McAllen, TX.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Fr. Martin De La Cruz
Why belong here
Join a parish that offers bilingual Masses, daily Adoration, and a strong emphasis on faith formation and community service. With ministries for children, teens, and adults, and sacramental preparation for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion, the parish provides spiritual nourishment and a welcoming home for all ages and backgrounds.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment only
Adoration times
- Thursdays 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM Chapel
About Us
Our Lady of Perpetual Help takes its inspiration from Ezekiel 34:16: 'I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed.' In a world full of noise and distraction, the parish offers a holy place of respite. Come, put aside the cares of the week and find yourself in the presence of God.
History
The parish was built in 1967 after permission was granted by Bishop Humberto Medeiros to establish a parish on the 5.33 acres of land at Kendlewood and 22nd Street, McAllen. This acreage, including a frame home, had been purchased in 1953 by the Sacred Heart Parish under the guidance of Father Frederick Brockman, O.M.I. Thereafter, some more acreage was purchased which extended the property to North 23rd Street. Originally, according to various sources, a small wooden chapel donated by Gertrudis (Tulitas) Garza had been brought from Granjero, Texas and placed at 22nd Street and Ebony Avenue. In 1953, Tulitas and Sister Inez, a local nun, together with some young ladies from the neighborhood taught C.C.D. classes in this chapel. In 1954, a hollow-tile-chapel was built in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The first priest to offer Mass in the chapel was Father Joseph O'Brien O.M.I. In 1955, Father John Busch, O.M.I. was transferred to Sacred Heart Parish. He saw the need for catechetical instruction and invited the Victory Noll Sisters from Indiana to establish the program in 1957. The Sisters lived in a convent on the grounds of Our Lady of Perpetual Help church and worked out of this center. Permission was later obtained by Father Busch to build a church on the property at a cost of $150,000. The chapel was then converted into a parish hall with an addition to be used for meetings and a St. Vincent de Paul distribution center. An education center was also built on the southeast corner of the property for catechetical instructions. The dedication ceremony by Bishop Medeiros took place on May 26, 1968, with Father Raymond Pomaville, O.M.I., the pastor, assisting.
Sacraments
The sacraments of Christian initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—lay the foundations of every Christian life. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. (CCC 1213)