About Sacred Heart · Edinburg, Texas
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a bilingual parish in Edinburg, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley. The parish was established in 1927 and today worships at its church at 501 E. Kuhn with a separate parish office at 215 N. 16th Avenue. Sacred Heart celebrates Mass daily in English, Spanish, and bilingual formats, supports the nearby St. Joseph Mission (Capilla de San José), and ministers through Catholic religious education (CCE), the OCIA process for adults, and a parish school of faith formation serving area families.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Rene Gaytan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a bilingual, Eucharist-centered parish where five weekend Masses (in English, Spanish, and bilingual) plus a Sunday morning bilingual Mass at St. Joseph Mission make it easy for any Rio Grande Valley family to find a liturgy that fits them. The parish maintains a staffed Faith Formation / CCE office open four days a week to prepare children and youth for Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Confirmation, and runs an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) process for adults seeking to become Catholic. Welcoming newcomers — whether visiting briefly, returning to the faith, or just exploring — is built into how the parish presents itself online and in its offices.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
About Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Edinburg, Texas is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Brownsville. The parish describes itself as a community 'Empowered by the Holy Spirit' that serves the local community of Edinburg, centers itself on the Eucharist, and dedicates itself to proclaiming the Gospel. Its main church is at 501 E. Kuhn, Edinburg, TX, with the parish office at 215 N. 16th Ave., Edinburg, TX 78541, and a satellite mission at 4101 Flores St.
History
Sacred Heart Parish was established in Edinburg in 1927, during the era when the lower Rio Grande Valley still belonged to the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The Diocese of Brownsville was later erected in 1965 from four counties — Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, and Starr — separated from Corpus Christi, and Sacred Heart came under the new diocese. According to the diocesan timeline, Sacred Heart was founded the same year as several other Valley parishes including St. Margaret Mary in Pharr and Our Lady Star of the Sea in Port Isabel.
- 1927 — Sacred Heart Parish established in Edinburg
- 1965 — Diocese of Brownsville erected; Sacred Heart joins the new diocese
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, a deacon, and a faith-formation staff.
- Rev. Rene Gaytan — Pastor
- Deacon Raul Rangel
- Jose Peralez III — (parish staff, role as listed on site)
- Dina Asbell — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Sanjuana Castillo — Office Assistant / Bookkeeper
- Enedelia Flores — Office Assistant
Faith Formation / Religious Education (CCE)
The parish runs a Faith Formation program (called CCE — Continuing Catholic Education) for children and youth. The CCE office is open Monday through Wednesday morning and afternoon, and Thursday afternoon only, and can be reached at (956) 383-4631 (fax 956-383-7311). CCE prepares students for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Confirmation, including a required Confirmation retreat. The parish website frames it as 'The Church invests in Her youth by providing faith formation and sacramental preparation for students.'
- Director of Religious Education: Dina Asbell
- Sacramental preparation: Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Confirmation requires a retreat
- CCE office hours: Mon–Wed 8 AM–12 PM and 1–3 PM; Thu 1–3 PM
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
Adults who are not yet Catholic, or who want to explore the faith, are invited into Sacred Heart's Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) process. The parish describes that 'a designated teacher leads the students into learning about: Catholic Doctrine, Sacraments, Catholic Spirituality, Catholic Customs, Catholic Ecclesiology, and the Explanation of the Holy Mass.' Inquirers are also welcome to stop by the church office in person for guidance.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) classes offered
- Topics: Catholic Doctrine, Sacraments, Catholic Spirituality, Customs, Ecclesiology, the Mass
- Contact: Parish Faith Formation office
St. Joseph Mission (Capilla de San José)
Sacred Heart operates a satellite mission parish — the Capilla de San José / St. Joseph Mission — at 4101 Flores St., Edinburg, TX. The mission celebrates a bilingual Sunday Mass each week, allowing Sacred Heart to extend its pastoral reach across the Edinburg area beyond the main church.
- Address: 4101 Flores St., Edinburg, TX
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM — Bilingual
Sacraments
The parish offers or prepares parishioners for the standard Catholic sacraments, including Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, marriage, and Holy Orders, with sacramental preparation for children through the CCE program and for adults through OCIA.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–4:00 PM; prepared through CCE
- First Holy Communion — prepared through CCE
- Confirmation — prepared through CCE, including retreat
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Holy Orders — vocations inquiries via the parish
Visiting, Newcomers, and Office Information
Whether visitors are passing through, looking for a new parish, returning to the faith, or just exploring Catholicism, Sacred Heart welcomes them to contact the parish office. The office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and the church is open 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday.
- Parish office phone: (956) 383-3253
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
- Church open: 7:30 AM–6:00 PM weekdays
- Church address: 501 E. Kuhn, Edinburg, TX 78541