About Our Lady of Valley · El Paso, Texas
Our Lady of the Valley is a bilingual Catholic parish in El Paso, Texas, in the Diocese of El Paso, located at 8600 Winchester Road in the Lower Valley (79907). Founded in 1945 as a mission of 36 people, the parish has grown to more than 700 registered families worshiping in both English and Spanish. It has been served since 2005 by the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Consolation Province (O.F.M. Conv.). The parish offers a school, an active slate of ministries, and outreach through St. Vincent de Paul and other groups.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Valley (originally named Our Lady of the Rosary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of El Paso
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Valley welcomes more than 700 families in a fully bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic community in El Paso's Lower Valley. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass in both languages, a parish school, the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons, and a deep bench of ministries — Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, St. Vincent de Paul, Guadalupanas, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Bible Studies, and a Youth Group. Whether you're a longtime parishioner or new to the area, OLV combines the warmth of a neighborhood parish with the spiritual richness of the Conventual Franciscan tradition.
Mass times at Our Lady of Valley
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment (o con cita)
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (First Friday of each month only)
History of Our Lady of the Valley
Our Lady of the Valley began on November 4, 1945, when Monsignor Henry D. Buchanan celebrated the first Mass for 36 people at St. Margaret's Home on Valdespino Road. Just three weeks later, on November 24, 1945, the parish purchased the former West Ysleta Country Club on Winchester Road — the property the parish still calls home. The first Mass at the new site was celebrated in what is now the parish hall on December 2, 1945, for 50 families, with an altar borrowed from St. Joseph Church. The new church, originally named Our Lady of the Rosary, was completed and blessed on Easter Sunday 1949.
- November 4, 1945: First Mass at St. Margaret's Home — 36 people in attendance
- November 24, 1945: Former West Ysleta Country Club property purchased
- December 2, 1945: First Mass at the Winchester Road site
- December 1945: Altar Society founded
- March 1946: Men's Council organized
- February 1947: Laetare Club organized and holds its first dance
- Easter Sunday 1949: New church, originally named Our Lady of the Rosary, completed and blessed
- January 1950: Monsignor Eugene B. Geary becomes pastor (longest-serving, 20+ years)
- 1974: Father Stephen Gotwals begins integrating the English and Spanish-speaking communities
- 2005: Parish entrusted to the Conventual Franciscan Friars (O.F.M. Conv.)
A Bilingual Catholic Community
From its earliest days as Our Lady of the Rosary to its current identity as a fully bilingual parish, Our Lady of the Valley has reflected the demographic reality of El Paso's Lower Valley. The 1974 integration of English- and Spanish-speaking communities under Father Stephen Gotwals continues to define parish life today. More than 700 registered families worship together through daily and Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish, ministries offered in each language, and a calendar that intentionally serves the whole community.
- Sunday Masses: 7:00 AM Spanish, 9:00 AM English, 11:00 AM Spanish, 1:00 PM English
- Weekday Masses alternate languages (Monday/Wednesday/Friday English, Tuesday/Thursday Spanish)
- Confessions offered in both English and Spanish on Saturdays
- Evangelización (Spanish-language evangelization) meets every Wednesday at 6:30 PM
Conventual Franciscan Friars (O.F.M. Conv.)
Since 2005, Our Lady of the Valley has been served by the Conventual Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor Conventual) of Our Lady of Consolation Province. The Conventuals — sometimes called 'The Grey Franciscans' for the color of their habits — are one of the three branches of the First Order of St. Francis. They wear a black or gray habit with a simple three-knotted cord representing the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, and they live together in 'convents' or friaries. The Order has roughly 4,500 priests and brothers worldwide, four provinces in North America, and serves as the Vatican confessors at St. Peter's Basilica. Friars who have served OLV include John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. (now Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky), Maurice Hayes, O.F.M. Conv., Cyprian Uline, O.F.M. Conv., and Don Adamski, O.F.M. Conv.
- Order: Conventual Franciscan Friars (O.F.M. Conv.)
- Province: Our Lady of Consolation Province
- Serving OLV since 2005
- Notable alumni: Friar John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. — now Bishop of Lexington, KY
Parish Ministries
Our Lady of the Valley runs a broad slate of lay ministries that serve both the spiritual and material needs of the parish and the wider Lower Valley community. Several of these groups — like the Altar Society and the Laetare Club — trace their origins back to the founding years of the parish in the 1940s.
- Altar Society — 1st Monday of the month, 6:00 PM (founded December 1945)
- Catholic Daughters — 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6:30 PM (except July/August)
- St. Vincent de Paul — Thursdays at 9:30 AM
- Guadalupanas
- Eucharistic Ministers — every other odd month, 2nd Wednesday at 6:00 PM
- Lectors — every other odd month, 3rd Tuesday at 7:00 PM
- Evangelización (Spanish) — every Wednesday at 6:30 PM
- Bible Studies
- Youth Group
- Finance Council — 3rd Monday at 7:00 PM
- Men's Council
- Laetare Club (social organization, founded February 1947)
- Newman Club
- Safe Environment Classes — 4th Tuesday at 7:00 PM
Outreach & Charity
Outreach to the wider El Paso community is a central part of OLV's mission. The parish chapter of St. Vincent de Paul — one of the Catholic Church's oldest lay charity organizations — meets weekly to serve neighbors in need. Evangelización, the Spanish-language evangelization group, gathers every Wednesday evening.
- St. Vincent de Paul conference — Thursdays at 9:30 AM
- Evangelización (Spanish) — Wednesdays at 6:30 PM
Parish Staff
Our Lady of the Valley is staffed by Conventual Franciscan friars (O.F.M. Conv.) together with lay staff in the parish office and a permanent deacon. The Office Assistant / Parish Secretary is Isela Castillo, and the parish deacon is Deacon Ray Niblett. The parish office can be reached at (915) 859-7939 during posted office hours.
- Deacon Ray Niblett
- Isela Castillo — Assistant Parish Secretary
- Office: (915) 859-7939
Parish School
The parish operates a Catholic elementary school that serves as a cornerstone of faith formation for OLV families in the Lower Valley. (See the parish website's School page for current enrollment information and contact details.)
Visit, Contact & Connect
Our Lady of the Valley is located at 8600 Winchester Road, El Paso, TX 79907. The parish office can be reached by phone at (915) 859-7939 or by email at [email protected]. Parishioners and visitors can stay connected through the parish's official Facebook page (Our Lady of the Valley–El Paso, TX) and YouTube channel, where some Masses are also live-streamed.
- Address: 8600 Winchester Road, El Paso, TX 79907
- Phone: (915) 859-7939
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.olvchurcheptx.org
- Facebook: Our Lady of the Valley–El Paso, TX
- YouTube channel (live-streamed Masses)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Henry D. Buchanan1945–
Founding pastor; celebrated the first Mass on November 4, 1945.
- Monsignor Eugene B. Geary1950–early 1970s
Longest-serving priest in parish history; cared for the faith community for more than 20 years.
- Father Stephen Gotwals1974–
Began the integration of the English- and Spanish-speaking communities into the parish.
- Conventual Franciscan Friars (O.F.M. Conv.)2005–present
Parish entrusted to the Conventual Franciscans of Our Lady of Consolation Province. Named friars include John Stowe (now Bishop of Lexington, KY), Maurice Hayes, Cyprian Uline, and Don Adamski.