About Saint Catherine · Atlanta, Texas
St. Catherine of Siena is a Roman Catholic parish in Atlanta, Texas, serving the faithful of Cass County in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Tyler and offers Mass in both English and Spanish, with a Sunday Spanish liturgy to serve the local Hispanic Catholic community. It is located at 309 N. Louise Street in downtown Atlanta and has been a spiritual home to area Catholics since the early 1960s, when Bishop Thomas Tschoepe of the Diocese of Dallas formally created it. The parish continues to be served by dedicated clergy and lay staff, offering daily and Sunday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, and a parish food pantry that ministers to the hungry in the surrounding community.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. Brent Shelton (Parish Administrator, assigned Summer 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena is a warm, bilingual Catholic community serving Atlanta, Texas and the surrounding Cass County area. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a parish that celebrates the Eucharist in both English and Spanish, with a Spanish Mass every Sunday to serve local Hispanic Catholics. Beyond the liturgical life — daily Mass, a robust Saturday confession schedule, First Friday devotions, and Eucharistic Adoration — the parish operates a food pantry that serves the hungry of the wider community, offering a tangible expression of the Gospel call to love one's neighbor.
Mass times at Saint Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Sunday: before each Mass
- By appointment: call (903) 796-4494
Adoration times
- First Friday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (with Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Catherine of Siena Parish
St. Catherine of Siena is a Roman Catholic parish in Atlanta, Texas, part of the Diocese of Tyler and one of eight parishes of the Northeast Deanery. The parish serves the Catholics of Atlanta and the surrounding Cass County area with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish. It is located at 309 N. Louise Street in downtown Atlanta. The parish's recorded canonical history begins July 3, 1965 (GCatholic), though the local community was organized as a parish in 1962 under the then-Diocese of Dallas.
- Patron: St. Catherine of Siena
- Diocese: Diocese of Tyler (Northeast Deanery)
- Address: 309 N. Louise Street, Atlanta, TX 75551-0985
- Languages: English and Spanish
History of the Parish
The parish was created in 1962 and its canonical history begins July 3, 1965, according to GCatholic. The Strickland family — including the future Bishop Joseph Strickland, fourth Bishop of Tyler — were among its founding members. When Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Tyler in 1987, carving it out of the Diocese of Dallas, St. Catherine of Siena was transferred into the new diocese. The parish has remained under the Diocese of Tyler ever since, serving as a bilingual faith community in northeast Texas.
- 1962: Parish established under the Diocese of Dallas
- 1965: Canonical history begins (July 3, 1965)
- 1987: Transferred to the newly erected Diocese of Tyler
- Strickland family (incl. future Bishop Joseph Strickland) among founding parishioners
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The parish celebrates Mass seven days a week. Weekend Masses are Saturday Vigil at 5:30 PM (English) and two Sunday Masses — 9:00 AM in English and a Spanish-language Mass in late morning (listed as 11:00 AM by some sources and 11:30 AM by others). Weekday Masses are generally celebrated Tuesday through Friday at 5:30 PM. The parish also offers a First Friday Mass at 9:00 AM in English and 7:00 PM in Spanish.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM (English)
- Sunday: 9:00 AM (English) and 11:00/11:30 AM (Spanish)
- Tuesday–Friday: 5:30 PM (English)
- First Friday: 9:00 AM English, 7:00 PM Spanish
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish has been led by a number of priests over its lifetime, including Rev. Daniel I. Gonzalez, who is now retired and listed by the Diocese of Tyler as a Retired Priest residing in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In summer 2026, the Diocese of Tyler assigned Rev. Brent Shelton as Parish Administrator, succeeding Rev. George Blasick, CSsR, who was reassigned to Holy Cross Parish in Pittsburg. The parish secretary is Donna Clark.
- Parish Administrator: Rev. Brent Shelton (assigned Summer 2026)
- Former Administrator: Rev. George Blasick, CSsR
- Former Pastor: Rev. Daniel I. Gonzalez (now Retired Priest)
- Secretary: Donna Clark
Outreach: Food Pantry Ministry
In keeping with Catholic social teaching and the call to serve the poor, St. Catherine of Siena operates a parish food pantry that ministers to the hungry in the Atlanta, Texas area. The parish regularly calls for donations of canned meats and fish, bags of potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter and preserves, crackers, soups, lentils, and juices to keep the pantry stocked.
- Food pantry serving the hungry of the community
- Donations requested: canned meats/fish, potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter, preserves, crackers, soups, lentils, juices
Diocese of Tyler and the Northeast Deanery
St. Catherine of Siena belongs to the Northeast Deanery of the Diocese of Tyler, which encompasses Bowie, Camp, Cass, Morris, Titus, and Upshur Counties. Sister parishes in the deanery include Our Lady of Fatima (Daingerfield), St. Francis of Assisi (Gilmer), St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus (Gladewater), St. Michael (Mt. Pleasant), St. Mary of the Cenacle (New Boston), Holy Cross (Pittsburg), and Sacred Heart (Texarkana). The dean is Very Rev. Francis O'Dowd.
- Deanery: Northeast Deanery
- Counties: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Morris, Titus, Upshur
- Dean: Very Rev. Francis O'Dowd
- Sister parishes: 8 in the deanery, incl. Sacred Heart Texarkana, St. Michael Mt. Pleasant
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel I. Gonzalez
Listed as Pastor on multiple parish directories; now retired, residing in Cheyenne, WY, listed by the Diocese of Tyler as a Retired Priest.
- Rev. George Blasick, CSsRuntil Summer 2026
Served as Parish Administrator; reassigned by the Diocese of Tyler in summer 2026 to Holy Cross Parish in Pittsburg.
- Rev. Brent SheltonSummer 2026–present
Assigned by the Diocese of Tyler in summer 2026 as Parish Administrator of St. Catherine of Siena, coming from St. Francis of the Tejas Parish in Crockett.