About Sacred Heart · Coleman, Texas
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a small but welcoming Roman Catholic parish in Coleman, Texas, part of the Diocese of San Angelo. Located in the 'Land of the Lakes,' the parish serves the faithful of Coleman County with weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacraments. The parish shares its pastor with its sister parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Winters. Its registered membership is approximately 150 families, of which about 75% are Hispanic and 25% Anglo, giving the parish a strong bilingual identity that is reflected in its Saturday evening Mass.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Kalambadan, CMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Angelo
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small parish with a big heart, where bilingual (English and Spanish) liturgy and a faithful Catholic community come together in the heart of Coleman County. With a Saturday bilingual Mass, a Sunday English Mass, daily weekday Masses (Tuesday through Friday), Saturday Confessions, Thursday Adoration with Benediction, and Holy Rosary devotion before each weekday Mass, the parish offers a full sacramental life for its approximately 150 registered families. Visitors are warmly welcomed to worship, serve, and grow in faith together.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. (also listed as 5:00–5:45 p.m. on some schedules)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., ending with Benediction
Welcome and Mission
The parish's own website describes Sacred Heart as 'the Catholic Faith Community of Sacred Heart Church of the Diocese of San Angelo, in Coleman, Texas, Land of the Lakes,' describing itself as 'a small community, but with big hearts.' Its fuller mission statement declares: 'We, the People of God, members of Sacred Heart Church in Coleman, Texas, are brought together through baptism and nourished in Eucharist, to respond to God's invitation to holiness and sacramental life — building a Kingdom to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. As a people, with a variety of backgrounds and cultures, we seek to work together in unity, love, peace and justice — serving the community of Coleman County and the world-wide community.' Visitors are warmly welcomed and wished 'God's blessings, always and all ways.'
- Diocese of San Angelo
- Coleman, Texas — 'Land of the Lakes'
- Bilingual English/Spanish parish
Parish History
Catholic worship in Coleman dates back to the 1880s. The first church building (a 30-by-45-foot wood-frame structure at 201 San Saba Street) was erected in 1882 as a community church shared by all faiths; in 1892 it was sold to the Catholics. Catholic property at the corner of East College Avenue and San Saba Streets was acquired in 1890 by five laymen — M. M. Callan, Fred Studer, Mike Bolan, James J. Callan, and J. P. Lynn — for $300. Early Masses were offered in the Callan family home using a bureau desk as the altar. The parish had no resident priest for most of its first sixty years, served instead by visiting priests from Dallas and Ballinger.
- 1882 — First church building erected (shared with other faiths)
- 1890 — Catholic laymen buy Lots 4 and west half of Lot 5, Block 10
- 1892 — Wood-frame building purchased from the Presbyterians
- Before 1910 — Visiting priests from Dallas and Ballinger
- After 1910 — Monthly train visits from Ballinger; later weekly Sunday car trips
- 1950–1954 — Cared for by Benedictine Fathers
- 1954 — Father Steve Montenegro becomes first diocesan resident pastor
- 1958–1959 — Present church built during Coleman County's Centennial Year
- 1961 — Becomes part of newly created Diocese of San Angelo
- March 20, 1962 — Canonically erected as a parish by Bishop Thomas J. Drury
Building the Present Church and Parish Hall
Ground was broken for the present Sacred Heart Church on June 15, 1958 (the Centennial Year of Coleman County); construction began June 17, 1958, and the building was completed in February 1959. It was formally dedicated the following month by Bishop L. J. Reicher of Austin, with a grant from the Catholic Church Extension Society supporting construction. The contemporary-design church seats 236. In 1980, plans were drawn up to replace the old 1882 wood-frame structure (by then used as a parish hall) with a new Parish Hall. Groundbreaking took place December 5, 1981, and the brick-faced steel building (70 by 100 feet) was completed in August 1982 and dedicated on June 6 by Bishop Fiorenza of San Angelo. It contains a social center, five classrooms, an office, a large storeroom, a well-equipped kitchen, and two restrooms with showers.
- Building Committee (1958–59): M. J. Brannon, Eldon Knox, J. F. Hanke, Hunter Woodruff, Santos Mendoza
- Building Committee (1981–82): Santos Mendoza Sr. (Chairman), James Hausenfluke, Joe Hanke Jr., Chris Raymond De Leon, Anna Kleman
- Catholic Church Extension Society grants helped fund both the church and the hall
Diocese and Pastoral Succession
Sacred Heart has belonged to three dioceses during its history: the Diocese of Dallas (until 1947), the Diocese of Austin (until 1961), and the Diocese of San Angelo (from 1961). It was canonically erected as a parish in 1962, when Bishop Thomas J. Drury named Father Leopold Bujnowski as its first canonical pastor. Subsequent pastors include Fathers Leo Diersing (who paid off the church debt in 1974), John Waldron, Louis Moeller, John Pierce, and Lawrence Cyr, C.P.P.S. (who oversaw construction of the new Parish Hall). The parish today shares its pastor with its sister parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Winters.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Thomas Kalambadan, CMI
- Sister parish: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Winters, TX
- Parish email: [email protected]
The Seven Sacraments
Sacred Heart's website includes an educational page on the seven Catholic Sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Marriage — explaining each in turn (drawing on texts from americancatholic.org). Parishioners are invited to contact the parish office to arrange preparation and celebration of the Sacraments, which are central to the parish's life and mission.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Penance)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Marriage (Holy Matrimony)
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office serves the community Monday through Friday, with a midday break for lunch. The phone line and bulletin are the principal channels for updates on weather-related or other schedule changes.
- Address: 303 E College Ave., Coleman, TX 76834
- Phone: (325) 625-5773
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed daily 12:00–1:00 p.m. for lunch)
- Email: [email protected]
Diocesan and Catholic Links
The parish's website links to several external Catholic resources for further reading, formation, and prayer.
- San Angelo Diocese — sanangelodiocese.org
- West Texas Angelus (diocesan publication)
- Our Holy Rosary
- Respect For Life Website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leopold (Leo) Bujnowski1962–1970
First canonical pastor after the parish was erected on March 20, 1962 by Bishop Thomas J. Drury.
- Rev. Leo Diersing1970–1977
Paid off the church debt on October 1, 1974.
- Rev. John Waldron1977–1978
- Rev. Louis Moeller1978–1979
- Rev. John Pierce1979
- Rev. Lawrence Cyr, C.P.P.S.1979–c.1980s
Oversaw planning and construction of the new Parish Hall dedicated in 1982.
- Rev. Steve Montenegro1954–1957
First diocesan resident pastor; ended segregated seating in the church.
- Rev. Leonard Van Ackeren, O.S.B.1950–1952
Benedictine Father who cared for the parish.
- Rev. William Vonk, O.S.B.1952–1954
Benedictine Father who cared for the parish.