About Sacred Heart · Waco, Texas
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Austin, located at 2621 Bagby Avenue on the south side of Waco, Texas. Founded in 1957 by Franciscan priests to catechize the area's Spanish-speaking residents, the parish continues to be a primarily Hispanic congregation, with worshipers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, and Chile, as well as English-speaking parishioners and students from nearby Baylor University. The parish has been served since 2014 by Father Carlo Benjamin "Benjie" Magnaye, MF, of the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith, and is famous regionally for the 750,000 dozen tamales (9 million tamales) its members sold to fund the construction of the present church in the early 1990s. Sacred Heart was designated a diocesan pilgrimage site for the 2026 Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is a recognized Jubilee church in the Diocese of Austin.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Carlo Benjamin "Benjie" Magnaye, MF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a warm, multigenerational, bicultural parish that has served Waco's south-side Hispanic Catholic community since 1957 and continues to welcome people from across Latin America, the U.S., and the Baylor University community. The parish is known for its extraordinary culture of lay volunteerism — most of its staff, choir members, and ministers are volunteers, the famous tamale-sale tradition still funds projects, and a Sunday breakfast fundraiser is run entirely with donated food and labor. With three Sunday Masses in Spanish and one in English (plus a Saturday vigil and three bilingual weekday Masses), an active faith-formation program with a class for students with special needs, RCIA for adults, a Vocation Team Ministry, a Grupo de Oración, and a first-class welcome for pilgrims, Sacred Heart is a place where families can worship in their language, serve generously, and grow together in faith.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM (confessional in church)
- Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (in the parish office)
- Sunday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, anytime before Mass, time permitting
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Third Thursday of the month: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Hour of Eucharistic Adoration / Prayer for Vocations)
Parish History
Sacred Heart traces its beginnings to the early 1950s, when the pastor of St. Francis Catholic Church in Waco saw the need for a dedicated mission on the city's south side. Four acres on Bagby Avenue near 26th Street were purchased in 1953; construction began in early 1957, and the first Sacred Heart church was dedicated on June 30, 1957, by the Franciscan order of priests who founded it. The Franciscans added five more acres to the campus and shepherded the parish for several decades. By the early 1980s the community had outgrown the original building, and in 1986 a building fund was launched for a new sanctuary. The parish's famous tamale-sale tradition — ultimately 750,000 dozen tamales (about 9 million in all) — together with other donations, raised more than $1 million, and the present church was completed in 1991 and dedicated on June 27, 1992, exactly 35 years after the first dedication. Pastoral care was later entrusted to the Missionaries of Faith, and Father Carlo Benjamin Magnaye, MF ("Father Benjie") was assigned as pastor in 2014, leading the sanctuary's interior and flooring restoration that same decade.
- Land purchased: 1953 (4 acres on Bagby Ave. near 26th St.)
- Original church dedicated: June 30, 1957 (founded by the Franciscan order)
- Building fund launched: 1986
- Tamale-sale fundraiser total: ~750,000 dozen tamales (≈9 million), raising over $1 million
- New sanctuary completed: 1991; dedicated June 27, 1992
- Pastoral care transferred to the Missionaries of Faith (M.F.)
- Father Carlo Benjamin "Benjie" Magnaye, MF, assigned as pastor: 2014
Worship and Sacraments
Sacred Heart offers one of the most linguistically diverse Mass schedules in the Diocese of Austin, with a Saturday vigil in English, four Sunday Masses (one in English and three in Spanish), and three bilingual weekday novena/day Masses. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons in the church confessional, on weekdays in the parish office, and before any Sunday Mass as time permits. The parish prepares children and adults for the full suite of Catholic sacraments through its CCE (religious education) program, RCIA, and Encuentro Matrimonial marriage preparation, and provides ongoing pastoral care to the homebound, hospital patients, and nursing-home residents through Father Benjie and the extraordinary ministers.
- Saturday vigil: 5:30 PM (English)
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (Spanish), 10:00 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish), 2:30 PM (Spanish)
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 12:00 PM (Bilingual)
- Confessions: Sat 4:00–5:15 PM in church; Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM in the office; Sun 7:00–2:00 PM before Mass
- Sacraments prepared for: Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick, RCIA
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Sacred Heart has a robust menu of lay-led ministries and parish organizations, reflecting its long-standing tradition of lay volunteerism. The parish counts the Apostolado, Guadalupanas, Encuentro Matrimonial, Grupo de Oración, Knights of Columbus, Columbiettes, Parish Council of Catholic Women, and Adult Fellowship among its ongoing groups, along with the liturgical ministries of lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and altar servers. Five volunteer choirs — one for each Sunday Mass — combine into a single ensemble for major feasts. The newest ministry, the Vocation Team Ministry, is led by three married couples who promote awareness of the priesthood and consecrated life; at the time of the Spiritus feature, one parishioner was discerning the priesthood and two women were considering religious life.
- Apostolado, Guadalupanas, Encuentro Matrimonial, Grupo de Oración
- Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes
- Parish Council of Catholic Women and Adult Fellowship
- Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers
- Five volunteer choirs (one per Sunday Mass) and combined ensemble for special events
- Vocation Team Ministry (newest ministry; three couples)
Faith Formation — CCE and RCIA
The parish's religious education program (Congreso de Catequesis / CCE) meets in three weekly sessions — two on Sundays and one on Wednesday evening — and includes a dedicated class for students with special needs, an unusual and cherished feature of the parish. Children and youth prepare for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation through the CCE. Adults seeking to become Catholic, or baptized Christians and Catholics completing their sacraments of initiation, journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), and at a recent Easter Vigil the parish welcomed one new Catholic into the faith through this rite.
- CCE classes meet on two Sundays and one Wednesday evening
- Special class for students with special needs
- First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation for children and youth
- RCIA for unbaptized adults and for adults completing the sacraments of initiation
Pastoral Care and Outreach
Pastoral care is woven into the parish's everyday life. Father Benjie and lay volunteers visit homebound parishioners, hospital patients, and residents of local nursing homes, and the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to those who cannot attend Sunday Mass. The parish also maintains a vibrant hospitality and fundraising culture: every Sunday morning the parish hosts a breakfast fundraiser for which all food and labor are donated by parishioners, and in recent years featured meals such as a fish dinner with chile rellenos. The current and historic fundraisers are a continuation of the famous tamale-sale tradition that built the present church.
- Pastoral visits to the homebound, hospital patients, and nursing-home residents
- Communion calls by extraordinary ministers every Sunday
- Weekly Sunday breakfast fundraiser (all food and labor donated)
- Continuation of the parish's signature volunteer-and-tamale fundraising tradition
Pilgrimage Site and Jubilee Designations
Sacred Heart has been recognized by the Diocese of Austin as a place of pilgrimage and special indulgence on more than one occasion. It was named a Jubilee Church during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis in 2016, and in 2026 Bishop Daniel E. Garcia designated it one of the official pilgrimage sites for the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From June 4 through July 4, 2026, the faithful may obtain a plenary indulgence by visiting Sacred Heart, praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, and receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist within seven days of their pilgrimage.
- Jubilee Church of the Diocese of Austin — Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
- Designated diocesan pilgrimage site for the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Austin
- Official 2026 pilgrimage site for the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 4 – July 4, 2026)
- In the path of totality of the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse
Clergy, Staff, and Religious Order
Sacred Heart is currently pastored by Rev. Carlo Benjamin Magnaye, MF — known to parishioners as Father Benjie — a member of the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith (M.F.), which was established in 1982 by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri and elevated to a Clerical Institute of Pontifical Right by Pope Francis on November 1, 2024. The parish has been served by the Missionaries of Faith since taking over pastoral care from the founding Franciscan order. In keeping with the parish's volunteer ethos, most other parish staff and many ministry leaders are unpaid volunteers. The Diocese of Austin (Bishop Daniel E. Garcia) provides diocesan oversight and support.
- Pastor: Rev. Carlo Benjamin "Benjie" Magnaye, MF (since 2014)
- Pastored by: Congregation of Missionaries of Faith (M.F.)
- Founded by: Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in 1957
- Diocese: Diocese of Austin (Bishop Daniel E. Garcia)
Campus, Contact, and Getting Involved
The parish campus sits on roughly nine acres at 2621 Bagby Avenue on Waco's south side, with the 1992 sanctuary, a cafeteria (home of the Monday-night Grupo de Oración and Sunday breakfast fundraiser), and well-maintained parking. The parish office can be reached at (254) 756-2656 (fax 254-756-6302) or [email protected], and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Pilgrimage groups and prospective parishioners are encouraged to call ahead so they can be welcomed on arrival. Newcomers are invited to become lectors, extraordinary ministers, choir members, or organization members, and to join the parish's all-volunteer culture of stewardship and service.
- Address: 2621 Bagby Avenue, Waco, TX 76711
- Phone: (254) 756-2656 — Fax: (254) 756-6302
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: https://sacredheartwaco.com/
- Office hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Ways to get involved: Lector, Extraordinary Minister, choir, parish organization, volunteer service
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Franciscan order of priests (Order of Friars Minor)1957 – (late 20th century)
Founding religious order; purchased the original four acres in 1953, dedicated the church June 30, 1957, added five more acres, and ministered to the south Waco Spanish-speaking community for several decades. Pastoral care was eventually transferred to the Missionaries of Faith.
- Rev. Carlo Benjamin Magnaye, MF2014 – present
Missionary of Faith (M.F.); known to parishioners as "Father Benjie." Led the sanctuary's interior and flooring restoration, the pilgrim welcome ministry, and the development of the Vocation Team Ministry.