About Our Lady of the Assumption · Ingleside, Texas
Our Lady of the Assumption is a Catholic parish in Ingleside, Texas, in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The community began in 1951 as a small mission chapel built by local Catholic families who had previously had to travel to Aransas Pass or Gregory for Mass, and it has grown into a vibrant parish serving the Coastal Bend. Today the parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, a 24/7 Adoration Chapel, religious education for children and adults, youth ministry, OCIA (formerly RCIA), a monthly food pantry, and a full range of liturgical and outreach ministries under the leadership of Fr. Patrick Higgins.
- Established
- 1951 (as a mission; 1962 established as an independent parish)
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Patrick Higgins
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Assumption is a small, close-knit parish where many of the ministries are still shaped by the volunteer labor of its founding families. Worshippers can attend a full schedule of daily and Sunday Masses, spend time in a 24/7 Adoration Chapel, join a robust OCIA program for adults, enroll children in CCE/OCIC religious education, serve neighbors through a monthly food pantry, sing in the choir, or serve as a lector, Eucharistic Minister, or altar server. For Catholics in Ingleside and the surrounding Coastal Bend, it is a parish that has welcomed its members as builders, ministers, and neighbors for more than seven decades.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel open 24/7 with pass code (obtain key code by calling the parish office M–F 9 AM–5 PM at 361-776-2446)
- Wednesday 8:30 AM Prayer Service in the Adoration Chapel
- Divine Mercy Chaplet prayed after all weekday Masses
About Our Parish
Our Lady of the Assumption is a Catholic parish in Ingleside, Texas, in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The community's story is the story of Catholic families on the Texas coast who decided to build their own church. The mission was established in 1951 and grew into a full parish by 1962; today it serves the Ingleside community with daily and Sunday Masses, a 24/7 Adoration Chapel, full faith formation for children and adults, a monthly food pantry, and many liturgical and outreach ministries.
- Founded in 1951 as a mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Aransas Pass
- Established as an independent parish in 1962
- Part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Named for the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Assumption
History of the Mission Church in Ingleside
In 1951, Father Poralis, a missionary priest from Mexico, found that most Ingleside-area Catholics had to travel to Aransas Pass or Gregory for Mass. Families pooled nickels and dimes — twenty-five cents a week per family — to buy land between Avenues F and G. In 1952 they purchased a surplus wooden-frame building from Reynolds Metal Company and remodeled it themselves, building an altar, partitions, communion rails, and pews. A rectory and later a parish hall followed. The new mission, served first by Father Damien Hayes, was named Our Lady of the Assumption.
- 1951 — Father Poralis organizes a new mission for Ingleside Catholics
- 1952 — Wooden-frame chapel moved from Reynolds Metal Company site and remodeled by parishioners
- Father Damien Hayes — first pastor; named the church
- Mission church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Aransas Pass
- Became an independent parish in 1962
The Construction of the Present Church
By the early 1970s the mission chapel was bursting at the seams, and Father Charles Doherty undertook the construction of the present church. In early 1973, Mr. and Mrs. Minor Culli located a 400-year-old stained glass window in Spain and donated it to the parish — prompting Father Doherty's line, 'Now all we need is a church to go with the window.' Local designer John Kaler Sr. drew up plans in twenty minutes. Because most contractors refused the job, Father Doherty hired a 60-ton crane and the concrete walls went up in just six days, with large rocks set inside the forms under heavy plastic to create the distinctive 'bubble' surface. The finished church seats 640 people in 68 pews.
- Site staked at the corner of 8th Street and Hwy 1069 by Pat King and Father Doherty
- Architectural design: John Kaler Sr., Corpus Christi
- Concrete walls raised in six days using a 60-ton crane from TM Gunn Construction
- Altar built by Sal Hahn and Alvin Untermeyer; pedestal by Gladys Noll and friend
- Light fixtures designed by Dick and Jo Ann Ehmann
- Front entrance doors built by Frank Sbrusch
- Stained glass window framing completed by Sal Hahn, Sharon and Leonard Untermeyer
- Large outdoor cross facing Main Street — original struck by lightning in the 1980s; second cross built by Perry Construction and Adan and Jesse Adame
- Rocks around the cross came from Jerusalem
Holy Days & Special Liturgies
The parish publishes a clear calendar for Holy Days of Obligation, Ash Wednesday, Easter, and Christmas, helping visitors plan around the major seasons of the liturgical year.
- Ash Wednesday — 8:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, 7:00 PM
- Easter Vigil — 8:00 PM
- Easter Sunday — 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM
- Christmas Eve — 5:00 PM Vigil & Children's Pageant
- Christmas Day — 12:00 AM Midnight Mass & 10:00 AM
- December 31 Vigil — 5:00 PM
- Solemnity of Mary / New Year's Day — 9:00 AM (except when on Sunday)
Sacraments
Our Lady of the Assumption celebrates the seven sacraments with practical guidance for parishioners: Reconciliation is offered every Saturday and by appointment; the Anointing of the Sick is available on request and at communal celebrations during Advent and Lent; Marriages are arranged with a priest with six months' advance notice; and Baptism preparation classes meet monthly in the parish hall.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:00 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — on request; communal in Advent and Lent
- Marriage — six months' notice; weekdays and Saturdays before 2:30 PM
- Baptism Preparation — 3rd Thursday of the month, 7:00 PM, parish hall
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Patrick Higgins and supported by a part-time staff and a wide circle of volunteer ministry leaders. Rosemary Morin serves as Parish Secretary and is the first point of contact for Mass intentions and messages for the pastor.
- Pastor: Fr. Patrick Higgins
- Parish Secretary: Rosemary Morin
- Religious Education Director: Erin Polasek
- Religious Ed Assistant / OCIC: Petra Sellers
- OCIA Director & Men's ACTS Director: Ed Polasek
- Youth Minister: Joey Polasek
- Choir / Music Director: Mason Matern
- Eucharistic Minister & Lector Coordinator; Food Pantry: Rene Majek
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas: Sherrie Wagner
- Altar & Rosary Society: Erma Gonzales
- Divine Mercy: Jay Masterson
- Altar Server Leader: Art Lugo
Ministries & Parish Life
The parish describes itself as 'the body that makes the Eucharist a unique and vibrant community.' Beyond the Mass schedule, parishioners can join liturgical, faith-formation, social-justice, and fellowship ministries, and the parish encourages new ideas for ministry.
- Music Ministry
- Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayer
- Eucharistic Adoration (24/7 chapel)
- Altar Servers (monthly meetings; ages 8+ who have received First Communion)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- OLOA Food Pantry (3rd Wednesday of each month)
- Baptism Preparation
- CMSE Safe Environment training (Diocese of Corpus Christi requirement)
- Knights of Columbus
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas
- Altar & Rosary Society
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Society
- Men's ACTS Retreats
- Youth Ministry
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education at Our Lady of the Assumption is a two-year sacramental preparation commitment for children under 18, alongside adult formation through OCIA. Open enrollment runs in the fall and classes begin in September, with required parent meetings for families preparing children to receive sacraments.
- CCE (Catechism) classes for children
- OCIC — Order of Christian Initiation for Children
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (classes on Thursdays, 7:00–8:30 PM, parish hall)
- Two-year sacramental preparation commitment
- Director: Erin Polasek (361-877-4282, [email protected])
- OCIA Director: Ed Polasek (361-537-3250)
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
The parish recently rebranded its adult initiation process from RCIA to OCIA. OCIA is described as a journey of study, exploration, faith-sharing, and faith formation with specific liturgical rites, restoring the ancient practice of the early Church and restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism and full communion.
- Open to non-baptized adults and baptized adult Christians seeking full communion
- Catechumens (unbaptized) prepare for Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- Candidates (already baptized) prepare for Eucharist and Confirmation
- OCIA Director: Ed Polasek — 361-537-3250
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during office hours (Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM), by email, or in person at the church on Main Street. The Adoration Chapel pass code and assisted entrance can also be arranged through the office.
- Address: 2414 Main St., Ingleside, TX 78362
- Phone: (361) 776-2446
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Poralis1951
Missionary priest from Mexico who visited the Ingleside area, found Catholics traveling to Aransas Pass or Gregory for Mass, and helped organize the new mission.
- Fr. Damien Hayesearly 1950s
First pastor of the new mission chapel; named the church Our Lady of the Assumption.
- Fr. Charles Dohertyearly 1970s – c. 1974
Led the design and construction of the current church; famously said 'Now all we need is a church to go with the window' after receiving the donated Spanish stained glass.
- Fr. Patrick Higgins2017–present
Current pastor; arrived just six weeks before Hurricane Harvey hit the area in 2017.