About Our Lady of Refuge · Roma, Texas
Our Lady of Refuge (Nuestra Señora del Refugio) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Roma, Texas, the oldest Catholic parish on the Rio Grande in Starr County and one of the earliest Oblate of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) missions in South Texas. Founded in 1854 under the title 'Refuge of Sinners,' it serves as the hub parish for a mission district that includes four mission chapels — Holy Family (Los Saenz), Lamb of God (Fronton), Holy Trinity (Falcon Heights), and St. Joseph (Salineño) — strung along the Rio Grande. The parish remains bilingual (Spanish and English) and remains a vital center of Catholic life for the predominantly Mexican-American community of Roma. It is part of the Diocese of Brownsville and is pastorally administered by an Oblate priest.
- Established
- 1854
- Patron
- Our Lady of Refuge (formally: 'Refuge of Sinners,' under the title of the Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Wilhelm, O.M.I. (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Our Lady of Refuge offers a deeply rooted bilingual Catholic community on the Rio Grande with weekend Masses in Spanish and English (Saturday 6 p.m. in Spanish and Sunday 11 a.m. bilingual), weekday Spanish Masses on Tuesday and Thursday, Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy prayer group, the La Cofradía del Santo Rosario brotherhood, a Junior Lector program for students in grades 3–7, and a Confirmation/Youth ministry centered at the parish youth center. The parish also maintains four mission chapels — Holy Family (Los Saenz), Lamb of God (Fronton), Holy Trinity (Falcon Heights), and St. Joseph (Salineño) — so it serves scattered ranch-country communities along the river.
Mass times at Our Lady of Refuge
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 6:30 p.m. (Our Lady of Refuge, Roma)
- Friday: 6:00 p.m. (Sagrado Familia / Los Saenz Mission)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 3:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. (Exposición del Santísimo) at Our Lady of Refuge, Roma
History of Our Lady of Refuge
Our Lady of Refuge traces its origins to January 1854, when Oblate Father Jean-Marie Gaye, on orders from Bishop Odin of Galveston, traveled upriver from Brownsville to Starr County. He established his residence in Roma in March 1854, and Father Pierre Kéralum joined him in May to build the first permanent Oblate church in South Texas — Roma being chosen because it sat halfway between Laredo and Brownsville at the head of steamboat navigation. On 18 September 1854, on the Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop Odin, assisted by Rev. James Benavides of Mier and the two Oblate fathers, laid the cornerstone and dedicated the church to the Virgin Mary under the title 'Refuge of Sinners.' After a brief Oblate withdrawal (1855–56), the parish was served by diocesan priests until the Oblates returned in 1867 with Father José María Clos, Father Jean Béraud, and Brother 'Pedrito' Charret — the so-called 'Roma Trio.' Father Eugène Régent (pastor 1908–1938) became the parish's most celebrated pastor, declaring 'j'aime les missions, la vie des Ranches' and earning successive provincial praise for keeping Roma's reputation as the theater of intrepid Oblate missionary zeal. Later pastors — Lewis, Gagliardoni, Laenen, Buckley, Snipes — extended the mission into the ranch villages, founded the Catechists of St. John Bosco, brought in the Cursillo movement, and built youth ministry as an alternative to the border drug culture. The 1905 reconstruction produced the current stone church, formally documented by the Library of Congress HABS (TEX-3135).
- 1854 — Father Gaye founds the Roma Oblate residence; Father Kéralum builds the church.
- 18 Sept 1854 — Cornerstone laid and dedication to Our Lady as 'Refuge of Sinners.'
- 1867–1907 — The 'Roma Trio': Fathers Clos, Béraud, and Brother Charret.
- 1908–1938 — Pastorate of Father Eugène Régent, O.M.I.
- 1938–1946 — Pastorate of Father Paul Lewis, O.M.I.; founds Catechists of St. John Bosco.
- 1945 — Chapel at Escobares built between Roma and Rio Grande City.
- 1954–55 — Replacement chapels at Lopeño and Falcón (Falcon Reservoir).
- 1905 — Present stone church constructed (HABS TEX-3135).
Mission Chapels
Our Lady of Refuge is the hub parish of a Roma mission district that also serves four mission chapels along the Rio Grande — a ministry that goes back to the original 'Oblate Trail' and the cavalry-of-Christ horseback ministry of the nineteenth century. Each chapel has its own weekly schedule, and the parish provides ongoing pastoral care to each community.
- Sagrado Familia (Holy Family) — Los Saenz: Sunday 9:00 a.m. Spanish; Wednesday 5:30 p.m. Prayer Group; Friday 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass; Friday 6:00 p.m. Confessions.
- Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God) — Frontón: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Spanish Mass.
- Santísima Trinidad (Holy Trinity) — Falcon Heights: Sunday 12:15 p.m. Spanish Mass.
- San José y San Judas (St. Joseph and St. Jude) — Salineño: Sunday 11:00 a.m. Spanish Mass.
Faith Formation: Catechism, Confirmation, and Youth
The parish runs a Catechism (CCE) program for elementary students, a Middle School program on Sunday mornings at the parish Youth Center, and a two-year Confirmation program (Year A & Year B). First-year and second-year Confirmation students are required to actively participate in Mass as lectors, choir members, altar servers, or ushers. Registration is online via QR codes published in the bulletin, with a $20 fee for the first child and $5 each for the second and third.
- Grades 1–5 CCE — Tuesdays, 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Middle School CCE — Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Youth Center, followed by attendance at Mass.
- Confirmation Year A & B — Sundays, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Youth Center, followed by Mass; active participation as lector, choir, altar server, or usher required.
- Pre-Confirmation classes offered.
- Registration online; $20 first child, $5 each for second and third.
Parish Ministries and Lay Involvement
Our Lady of Refuge has a robust lay-ministry culture. A Junior Lector program welcomes students in grades 3–7, supported by adult mentors. The parish's La Cofradía del Santo Rosario (Holy Rosary Confraternity) has a newly installed board. The parish is also building a Rosary Garden, inviting families to dedicate inscribed bricks.
- Junior Lector program (grades 3–7 with adult mentors).
- La Cofradía del Santo Rosario — Holy Rosary Confraternity (newly installed board).
- Divine Mercy Prayer Group.
- Choir, lectors, altar servers, ushers (vested roles for Confirmation candidates).
- Rosary Garden brick dedication ($100 per brick for family/memorial dedications).
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the six sacraments of the Catholic Church. Preparation for First Communion and Confirmation flows from the parish's CCE and Confirmation programs, and the parish has a long historical ministry of convalidating civil marriages — particularly important in the bilingual, border community.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Confirmation — two-year program (Year A & Year B)
- First Communion — via CCE program
- Marriage — pastoral preparation; historical ministry of convalidation of civil marriages
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- RCIA / adult faith formation — contact parish
Giving and Online Access
The parish accepts online donations (Give / Donación en línea) through its website. Live streams of the Sunday 11:00 a.m. bilingual Mass are available on the parish's YouTube channel, enabling homebound parishioners and those in the mission chapels to remain connected to the principal Sunday liturgy.
- Online giving — via website.
- Online donations en español available.
- Sunday 11:00 a.m. bilingual Mass live-streamed on YouTube (@RomaChurch/streams).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jean-Marie Gaye, O.M.I.1854 (founder, first resident priest)
Established the Oblate mission at Roma; inaugurated the 'Oblate Trail' along the Rio Grande.
- Father Pierre (Peter) Kéralum, O.M.I.May 1854
Architect, stonecutter, and mason of the first permanent Oblate church; cornerstone laid 18 September 1854.
- Father de Lustrac, O.M.I.1855–1856
Replaced Kéralum briefly before being assigned to Galveston.
- Fathers José María Clos, O.M.I., and Jean Béraud, O.M.I., with Brother 'Pedrito' Charret, O.M.I.1867–1907
The 'Roma Trio' who resumed Oblate residence after the 1855–66 withdrawal.
- Father Eugène Régent, O.M.I.1908–1938
Long-serving pastor who built the mission's reputation for intrepid missionary zeal.
- Father Paul Lewis, O.M.I.1938–1946
Founded the Catechists of St. John Bosco to staff the scattered ranch stations.
- Father Carmelo Gagliardoni, O.M.I.mid-20th century
Brought in catechist Sisters from Mexico for door-to-door mission work; built chapel at Falcon Heights.
- Father Hendrick Laenen, O.M.I.mid-20th century
Assigned the outlying chapels; began Sunday Mass at Los Saenz; convalidated many civil marriages.
- Father Maurice Buckley, O.M.I.from 1960
Introduced the Cursillo movement; summer religious schools with Victory Noll Sisters; released-time catechism in public schools.
- Father Roy Snipes, O.M.I.1980s–early 1990s
Confronted local drug culture; reinvigorated youth ministry with altar servers, Boy Scouts, dramatizations, and community service.
- Rev. Paul Wilhelm, O.M.I.current
Longtime Oblate priest of the parish; currently Parish Administrator.