About Our Lady of Pilar · Corpus Christi, Texas
Our Lady of Pilar is a Roman Catholic parish in Corpus Christi, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Corpus Christi. It serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking community on the city's Westside from its church at 1101 Bloomington Street. Most Masses are celebrated in Spanish, with one Sunday morning Mass held in English during the CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) school year. The parish is known for its warm, humble congregation and the longtime pastoral presence of a priest who became a beloved fixture of the neighborhood.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilar)
- Rector
- Monsignor Marcos Martínez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Our Lady of Pilar offers a deeply bilingual, working-class parish home on Corpus Christi's Westside where most Masses — including the Saturday vigil, daily Masses and the Sunday evening liturgy — are celebrated in Spanish. Faith formation is at the heart of parish life, with weekly CCD classes for children and a parish-hall breakfast of tacos, chalupas and menudo after Sunday Mass that turns the church into a real community gathering. Eucharistic Adoration (Hora Santa) is offered in Spanish every Thursday, confession is available Saturday afternoons, and Sunday Masses are also live-streamed on the parish's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person.
Mass times at Our Lady of Pilar
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
- Weekdays by appointment (Días de semana por cita)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Hora Santa / Holy Hour, Spanish)
Parish Identity and Diocese
Our Lady of Pilar (Church of Our Lady of the Pillar / Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, listed in the diocese's Parish Finder directory. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) religious organization under the name Our Lady of Pilar Catholic Parish, Corpus Christi, Texas. The parish operates under the Roman-Latin rite and serves a bilingual, predominantly Spanish-speaking congregation.
- Diocese: Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Formal title: Church of Our Lady of the Pillar
- Listed in Diocese of Corpus Christi Parish Finder
- Roman-Latin rite
History and Community Roots
According to GCatholic, the parish's history dates to 1964, while federal nonprofit records for the parish corporation show a ruling year of 1946 — indicating that the Catholic presence on this stretch of Corpus Christi's Westside goes back to the mid-1940s before being formally constituted as Our Lady of Pilar. The parish has long been identified with the Hispanic Westside community, and for many years it has been pastored by Monsignor Marcos Martínez, a priest the Caller-Times described in 2016 as having served the Westside for nearly forty years. He is known for personally turning on the church's holiday lights and Christmas music each evening to lift neighborhood spirits.
- GCatholic founding reference: 1964
- Nonprofit ruling year: 1946
- Pastored for nearly 40 years (as of 2016) by Monsignor Marcos Martínez
- Known for festive holiday lights and Christmas music around the church
Faith Formation — CCD
Religious education for children is centered on the parish's CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program, which meets on Sundays and is so central to parish life that the Sunday 10 AM English Mass is only celebrated during the CCD school year. After CCD classes and Mass, the parish hall opens for a community breakfast of tacos, chalupas, and menudo — a tradition that doubles as catechesis and as fellowship for the Westside families.
- Sunday CCD classes for children during the school year
- 10 AM Sunday English Mass only offered during CCD season
- Parish-hall breakfast tradition: tacos, chalupas, menudo
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been shaped over several decades by Monsignor Marcos Martínez, who by 2016 had served on the Westside for nearly forty years. Parishioners and visitors describe him as humble and approachable — 'if you walk in, he will always have time to see you; you don't need an appointment' — and as a priest who identifies himself as 'one of the parishioners,' deeply woven into the life of the neighborhood he serves.
- Pastor: Monsignor Marcos Martínez
- Profile source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, December 2016
- Known for switching on the church's holiday lights each evening
- Approachable, walk-in pastoral style
Parish Life, Music and Outreach
Beyond Mass and CCD, parish life at Our Lady of Pilar revolves around simple, deeply communal rhythms: shared meals in the parish hall after Sunday CCD, weekly Hora Santa adoration in Spanish, and the visible presence of holiday lights and Christmas music that Monsignor Martínez activates every evening for the surrounding neighborhood. The parish also extends its reach by live-streaming Sunday Masses on Facebook, allowing shut-ins and Spanish-speaking Catholics beyond the Westside to worship with the community.
- Sunday parish-hall meals
- Live-streamed Masses on Facebook
- Christmas lights and seasonal music offered to the neighborhood
- Spanish-language Hora Santa weekly
Visit, Contact and Location
The parish welcomes visitors at 1101 Bloomington Street in Corpus Christi, Texas (ZIP 78416), on the city's Westside. The parish phone line is (361) 852-6327, and email contact is [email protected]. The parish is listed in the Diocese of Corpus Christi's Parish Finder, and live Masses can also be joined through the parish's Facebook page.
- Address: 1101 Bloomington St., Corpus Christi, TX 78416
- Phone: (361) 852-6327
- Email: [email protected]
- Listed in the Diocese of Corpus Christi Parish Finder
- Facebook live-stream for Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Marcos Martínez
Longtime pastor described in 2016 as having served the Westside parish for nearly 40 years; beloved for his humility, approachability and the holiday lights he personally turns on at the church each evening.