Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

About St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church — locally called "Mother Cabrini" — is a bilingual and trilingual parish serving the east side of El Paso, Texas. The parish belongs to the Diocese of El Paso (Vicariate of Our Lady of Guadalupe) and is named for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patroness of immigrants, the first American citizen to be canonized. The parish is located at 12200 Vista del Sol Drive and currently celebrates Mass in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

History of the Parish

Founded in 1993, the parish first gathered in a parish house on Picasso Street and later at Walter E. Clark Middle School while a permanent home was planned. A 12-acre site was secured on Vista del Sol Drive and developed in phases, with a multipurpose building serving as the worship space for many years. Ground was broken on a $4.5 million sanctuary designed by Hyndman and Hyndman Architects in 2014, and the new church — with its mission-style exterior and modern interior — was dedicated on the last Sunday of May 2016. By that point Fr. Frank Lopez, who had been assigned to the parish for 16 years, described the dedication as emotional and a long time coming for the community.

• 1993 — Parish founded; initial services held at a parish house on Picasso Street.
• Early years — Mass moved to Walter E. Clark Middle School.
• 2014 — Ground broken for the $4.5 million sanctuary.
• May 2016 — Sanctuary dedicated; mission-style exterior, modern interior, designed by Hyndman and Hyndman Architects.

Clergy and Parish Staff

The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Benjamin Flores-Ruiz, with Parochial Vicar Rev. Cesar Garcia and four deacons: Jim Szostek, Dagoberto "Chato" Gonzalez, Bob Guerra, and transitional deacon Alexander Askee Gutierrez. The staff includes Sr. Rachel Valle as Parish Catechetical Leader / Director of Religious Formation, Aida Calderon in Safe Environment, Hector Loya in ministry coordination, and additional staff in music, communications, administration, and maintenance.

• Pastor: Rev. Benjamin Flores-Ruiz
• Parochial Vicar: Rev. Cesar Garcia
• Deacon Jim Szostek
• Deacon Dagoberto "Chato" Gonzalez
• Deacon Bob Guerra
• Deacon Alexander Askee Gutierrez (Transitional)
• Fr. Cong Vo — celebrant of the Vietnamese Sunday Mass
• Sr. Rachel Valle — Parish Catechetical Leader / Music Director
• Aida Calderon — Safe Environment
• Hector Loya — Ministers of Communion

Faith Formation and Religious Education

The parish runs a full Religious Formation program under the direction of the Parish Catechetical Leader, with pathways for children preparing for First Communion, teens preparing for Confirmation, and adults entering the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). To register, parents must present recently issued and certified copies of their children's Baptism and First Communion certificates from the parishes where those sacraments were received.

• Children's First Holy Communion program
• Teen Confirmation program
• RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) — also adapted for older children and young adults
• Parents Helping Parents / Padres Ayudando a Padres — bilingual parent faith-formation evenings
• Pre-Baptismal Class — first Saturday of each month

Parish Ministries and Groups

The parish supports an unusually wide range of lay ministries, reflecting both its bilingual identity and its patron's call to serve immigrants. From liturgical roles at the altar to outreach in the community, ministries are organized with named lay leaders and are open to new participants who contact the parish office.

• Liturgical: Altar Servers, Lectors (English & Spanish), Ministers of Communion, Sacristans
• Music: parish choir / Music Ministry
• Welcoming: Hospitality / Ushers and Greeters
• Service: Knights of Columbus / Caballeros de Colón, Migrants Ministry / Ministerio de Migrantes
• Faith-life groups: LifeTeen youth group, Young Adults Ministry, That Man Is You (men), Marriage Group / Grupo Matrimonial, Cursillo / Talleres de Oración & Vida
• Pastoral care: Bereavement Ministry, Prayer groups, Evangelization
• Parish life: Parish Pastoral Council, Capital Campaign, Safe Environment, Security, Children's Liturgy of the Word

Outreach and Community Life

True to the example of its patroness, the parish is known for serving immigrants and the wider border community. The Migrants Ministry, the Knights of Columbus's annual Philly Cheesesteak fundraiser (with proceeds that have included dinners for immigrants), and the annual Mass at the Border praying for the sister city of Ciudad Juárez are all visible signs of a community that looks beyond its own walls. The Vietnamese Catholic community gathers each Sunday evening for Mass with Fr. Cong Vo, and the parish also hosts cultural celebrations such as Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, which begins with three days of prayer — for peace in Vietnam and the world, for ancestors and the deceased, and for the sanctification of work — followed by the traditional exchange of red "good luck" envelopes.

• Migrants Ministry / Ministerio de Migrantes (Alberto & Lorena Bencomo)
• Knights of Columbus Annual Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Sale
• Annual Mass at the Border — praying for the sister city of Ciudad Juárez
• Vietnamese Catholic community — Sunday 7:00 PM Mass and Tết celebration with Fr. Cong Vo

Visit, Contact, and Office Hours

Parishioners and visitors are welcome at the parish office during the published office hours. The parish office handles registrations for sacraments, faith formation, and ministries, and can be reached by phone or email.

• Address: 12200 Vista del Sol Dr, El Paso, TX 79936
• Phone: (915) 857-1263
• Email: [email protected]
• Office hours — Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
• Office hours — Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM