About Resurrection · Houston, Texas
Resurrection Catholic Church (often styled Resurrection Catholic Community) is a bilingual Catholic parish in Houston's Denver Harbor neighborhood on the city's far East side, just off Interstate 10. Founded in 1920 as a mission of St. Patrick's Church and the first Catholic church built in the Denver Harbor Addition, it has grown into a thriving parish that includes an elementary school (Resurrection Catholic School, est. 1937), a mission chapel called Capilla La Divina Providencia on Munn Street, and a full slate of ministries celebrated in both English and Spanish. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and currently serves the faithful under Rev. Martial F. Oya.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- The Resurrection of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Martial F. Oya
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
Resurrection is a long-established bilingual parish where Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish every day of the week, and where a sense of family has been handed down since 1920. Parishioners can worship at the main church, attend the historic mission chapel La Divina Providencia on Munn Street, send children to the parish's own STREAM-focused Catholic school (operating since 1937), and serve in ministries that range from liturgical roles (choir, lector, altar server, Extraordinary Minister) to social-justice outreach (St. Vincent de Paul Society, food pantry, visiting the homebound) to faith formation for children, youth, and adults including RCIA. It is a parish with deep Denver Harbor roots that welcomes newcomers, returning Catholics, and those inquiring about the Catholic faith.
Mass times at Resurrection
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesdays: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Saturdays: 4:00 PM – 4:40 PM
History of Resurrection Catholic Community
Resurrection traces its origin to Easter Sunday, April 4, 1920, when pioneer families met under the oaks in the Denver Harbor Addition with Father Bernard Lee and visiting priests to plan a church. The first white frame church (35 × 50 feet) was built that same year and dedicated debt-free by Bishop Christopher E. Byrne on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1920, making it the first church in Houston dedicated by the fourth Bishop of Galveston. The original structure was relocated on rollers in 1924 to Market and Majestic Street, destroyed by fire in 1926, and rebuilt smaller in 1927. After a near-collapse in the early 1930s, Father Henry Parmentier refounded the parish in 1936, opened Resurrection Catholic School in 1937, and oversaw construction of the current church whose cornerstone was laid June 19, 1949 and which Bishop Wendelin J. Nold blessed on November 27, 1949. The parish went on to become the mother church of three mission churches and a thriving bilingual community serving far East Houston today.
- Founded 1920 by Father Bernard Lee as a mission of St. Patrick's
- First permanent pastor: Father Henry Parmentier (from June 6, 1936)
- First church destroyed by fire in fall 1926; rebuilt spring 1927
- Current church cornerstone laid June 19, 1949; blessed November 27, 1949
- School opened September 1937; peak enrollment 481 students in 1959
Capilla La Divina Providencia (Mission Chapel)
La Divina Providencia is Resurrection's active mission chapel located at 7913 Munn Street, Houston, TX 77029. Its roots go back to the mid-1960s, when Father Paul Fee moved a barracks building from Ellington Air Force Base to serve Catholics in the Port Houston area. Today the chapel is still served by the priest from Resurrection and hosts a Spanish Sunday Mass at 7:00 AM and a Spanish Thursday Mass at 6:30 PM.
- Address: 7913 Munn Street, Houston, TX 77029
- Sunday 7:00 AM Spanish Mass; Thursday 6:30 PM Spanish Mass
Sacraments
The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis coordinates sacramental preparation at Resurrection, including RCIA, Baptism, and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCE) at all grade levels. The parish teaches that the seven sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony — are the 'powers that come forth' from the Body of Christ and the masterworks of God in the new and everlasting covenant (CCC 1113 & 1116).
- Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony
- Religious Education Classes Grades 1–8
- Sacrament preparation for First Communion and First Penance
- Confirmation preparation
- High School Youth Ministry
- RCIA for adults
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Resurrection is meant for the entire parish community — children, youth, and adults. The parish offers ongoing religious education for Grades 1 through 8, two-year sacramental preparation tracks for First Communion and First Penance, Confirmation preparation, and a dedicated High School Youth Ministry. Adult formation is supported through the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, which oversees RCIA and Baptism preparation, and the parish encourages parishioners to read the weekly bulletin to keep up with formation opportunities.
- Religious Education Grades 1–8
- First Communion & First Penance preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- High School Youth Ministry
- RCIA / Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
- Contact: Mirza Vazquez, [email protected], 713-675-5333
Resurrection Catholic School
Resurrection Catholic School is a Catholic school serving the Denver Harbor neighborhood at the corner of Majestic and Market Streets, just off Interstate 10 on Houston's far East side. Founded in 1937 — opened and dedicated by Bishop C.E. Byrne on September 12, 1937 and started by four Sisters of St. Mary of Namur from Fort Worth — it welcomed pupils of all denominations, served Northeast Houston and Galena Park, and grew rapidly: 95 students the first week, over 200 by 1947, over 300 by 1952, and a peak of 481 in 1959. Today, under Pastor Fr. Oscar Dubon (and his successor), the school continues to expand after receiving a major grant from the Kinder Foundation that funded new playgrounds, an athletic field, and campus revitalization, evolving into a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) school with a 1:1 program and Early Childhood through Middle School grades.
- Founded 1937; Sisters of St. Mary of Namur from Fort Worth staffed the school
- Original red-brick school built in 1937; demolished 1963
- 1955 white-brick addition facing Majestic Street (six classrooms, library, clinic, offices)
- 1959 cafeteria/gymnasium/auditorium dedicated by Monsignor Vincent M. Harris
- 1962 white-brick school facing Zoe Street (eight classrooms)
- Peak enrollment: 481 students in 1959
- Currently a STREAM-focused school with Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School divisions
- Major Kinder Foundation grant funded new playgrounds, athletic field, and renovations
- Faith. Family. Future. motto
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish offers many opportunities for parishioners to return their gifts of time and talent to God through liturgical, social-justice, and fellowship ministries. As stewards of God-given skills and abilities, parishioners serve as choir members, lectors, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist; they visit the homebound, serve the poor, volunteer at food pantries, and run the St. Vincent de Paul Society; and they participate in youth ministry, men's and women's groups, and the annual parish bazaar. The parish also hosts Matrimonial Encounter (Diálogo Matrimonial) groups, including English and Spanish-language meetings.
- Liturgical ministries: choir, lector, altar server, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Visiting the homebound
- Food pantry volunteering
- Youth ministry
- Men's and women's parish groups
- Annual parish bazaar
- Diálogo Matrimonial / Matrimonial Encounter groups
Parish Life & Community
Resurrection describes itself as a community where 'we live our faith through service, teaching, and leadership in a hospitable environment of trust and respect.' The parish family is shaped by the Eucharist and expressed in ministries, faith formation for all ages, social outreach, and shared fellowship — including an annual parish bazaar. The parish welcomes new arrivals, returning Catholics, and those inquiring about becoming Catholic through the 'I'm New Here' page, and it encourages parishioners to stay informed via the weekly bulletin.
- Mission: 'live our faith through service, teaching, and leadership in a hospitable environment of trust and respect.'
- Weekly bulletin published online
- Options for new parishioners, returning Catholics, and inquirers
- Parish bazaar and other community events
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is located at 915 Zoe St. Bldg. #3, Houston, TX 77020, and is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Visitors may reach the office by phone at 713-675-5333 or by email at [email protected]. The mission chapel La Divina Providencia is at 7913 Munn Street, Houston, TX 77029.
- Parish Office: 915 Zoe St. Bldg. #3, Houston, TX 77020
- Phone: 713-675-5333
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Mission chapel: La Divina Providencia, 7913 Munn Street, Houston, TX 77029
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bernard Lee1920 (founder)
Founder of the parish; celebrated the first Mass in the 1920 frame church; altar boy at the dedication was Anton J. Frank.
- Father M. J. Dalyafter 1924
Administrator of the mission church of St. Patrick's after Father Lee; oversaw the 1926 fire and the 1927 rebuilding.
- Father Sampsonafter Father Daly
Served the mission from St. Patrick's alongside Father Daly.
- Father George Blackafter Father Sampson
Succeeded Father Daly in caring for the mission from St. Patrick's.
- Father Florence J. O'Connor1931 – (transferred)
First resident pastor; lived with a parish family until a garage apartment was built as a rectory.
- Father T. A. Ryanbrief tenure after Father O'Connor
Short-term pastor; during his and Father Killorn's tenure the parish dwindled and the Bishop ordered the Blessed Sacrament removed.
- Father Killornbrief tenure after Father Ryan
Short-term pastor.
- Father Henry ParmentierJune 6, 1936 – retired
First permanent pastor of the Denver-Harbor church; arrived from St. Joseph's in New Waverly; doubled church capacity in 1936; built and opened Resurrection Catholic School in 1937; built the 1947 brick rectory; oversaw construction of the current church (1949 cornerstone, blessing Nov 27, 1949); later retired to a farm he owned.
- Father John CampbellJuly 1, 1950 – December 28, 1953
Continued parish growth despite failing health; died in hospital; Requiem Mass presided by Bishop Nold; buried in Calvary, Galveston. Memorial statue of Our Blessed Mother blessed June 13, 1954.
- Father O'Connerafter Father Campbell's death (1954)
Assumed duties of the parish after Father Campbell's death.
- Father Bruno SkweresAugust 1954 – summer 1965
Ten-year pastor; built six new classrooms (1955), cafeteria/gymnasium/auditorium hall (1959), Zoe Street school (1962); demolished the old frame church and the original 1937 brick school; built scout house and barbecue pit; paid off all new construction; established St. Philip of Jesus Church on Wallisville Road.
- Father Paul FeeSeptember 1965 – 1967
Came from China, Texas; established two mission churches — St. Dominic on Sheldon Road and a barracks-building mission moved from Ellington AFB for the Port Houston area (precursor of La Divina Providencia on Munn Street).
- Father Thomas A. Wendlandappointed June 1967
Led the parish during a period of steady growth; the three mission churches were operating during his tenure.
- Father Robert D. Carlson1973 – 1986
Fourteen-year pastor; transferred to Our Lady of Fatima in 1986.
- Father Lawrence Peguero1986 – 1987 (interim)
Assumed duties of the parish after Father Carlson's transfer.
- Father David J. Cardenas1987 – November 20, 2006
Twenty-year pastor under whom the parish grew further; fell ill and died in hospital November 20, 2006; Requiem Mass at Resurrection presided by Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza; buried in Houston.
- Father Abelardo CobosJanuary 2007 – July 2011
Appointed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; transferred to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in July 2011.
- Father Christopher PlantAugust 2011 – July 2016
Appointed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; transferred to St. Bartholomew the Apostle in July 2016.
- Father Oscar DubonAugust 2016 – (later)
Appointed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo in August 2016; oversaw major school revitalization funded by the Kinder Foundation (new playgrounds, athletic field, STREAM upgrades).
- Rev. Martial F. Oyacurrent
Current Pastor of Resurrection Catholic Community (as shown on the parish's official website).