About Saint William · Montague, Texas
St. William Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural community of Montague, Texas, in Montague County. It is one of four parishes in a tightly-knit cluster (St. Mary in Henrietta, St. Joseph in Nocona, St. Jerome in Bowie, and St. William in Montague) that share a single pastor and a coordinated worship schedule, reflecting the reality of ministering across a wide, sparsely-populated stretch of North Texas. The parish is named after Saint William of Vercelli, the 11th–12th-century Italian hermit who founded the Montevergine monastery, and it is part of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Sunday worship at St. William includes both an English and a Spanish Mass, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration offered on a rotating monthly basis among the four parishes of the cluster.
- Patron
- Saint William of Vercelli (c. 1085–1142), Italian hermit and founder of the monastery of Montevergine in southern Italy
- Rector
- Rev. Marianna Francis Chinthamalla, HGN (Helpers of the Holy Ghost)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
St. William welcomes Catholics in Montague County to a small, bilingual Sunday community — English Mass at 11:30 AM and Spanish Mass at 1:00 PM — with the warmth typical of a rural parish. Because it shares a pastor with St. Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Jerome, parishioners benefit from a wider cluster of fellow Catholics across four Clay/Montague County towns and a coordinated sacramental schedule that includes monthly confession and Eucharistic Adoration. Newcomers are encouraged to register as parishioners through the parish website, and the office staff are happy to help with baptisms, weddings, and other sacramental needs.
Mass times at Saint William
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 2nd Wednesday of the month: 5:30–6:30 PM at St. William, Montague (parish website lists 5:30–6:00 PM, with adoration immediately following)
- The four-parish cluster rotates Wednesday confessions: 1st Wed. at St. Joseph (Nocona), 2nd Wed. at St. William (Montague), 3rd Wed. at St. Jerome (Bowie), 4th Wed. at St. Mary (Henrietta), each 5:30–6:30 PM
- By appointment: call the parish office at 940-538-4214
Adoration times
- 2nd Wednesday of the month: 6:00–7:00 PM at St. William, Montague (parish website lists 5:30–6:00 PM in concert with confession)
- Cluster rotation: 1st Wed. at St. Joseph (Nocona), 2nd Wed. at St. William (Montague), 3rd Wed. at St. Jerome (Bowie), 4th Wed. at St. Mary (Henrietta), each 6:00–7:00 PM
Welcome to St. William Parish
St. William Catholic Church is a small, bilingual Roman Catholic parish located at 311 South Union in Montague, Texas. It belongs to the Diocese of Fort Worth and shares its priest and sacramental life with three neighboring parishes — St. Mary in Henrietta, St. Joseph in Nocona, and St. Jerome in Bowie. The parish welcomes new arrivals to register as parishioners and invites visitors to contact the office with any questions about the faith, the sacraments, or getting involved.
- Sunday English Mass: 11:30 AM
- Sunday Spanish Mass: 1:00 PM
- Parish office (shared): 105 S. Barrett, Henrietta, TX 76365
- Phone: 940-538-4214
- Email: [email protected]
The Four-Parish Cluster
Because rural North Texas has small Catholic populations spread over many miles, St. William is clustered with three sister parishes under one pastor. The same priest — currently Rev. Marianna Francis Chinthamalla, HGN — serves St. Mary (Henrietta), St. Joseph (Nocona), St. Jerome (Bowie), and St. William (Montague). The shared website stmarycatholichenrietta.org is the front door for all four communities, and the four churches stagger their weekend Masses so that Catholics across the region can attend Mass close to home each Sunday.
- St. Mary — Henrietta, TX (parish office location)
- St. Joseph — Nocona, TX
- St. Jerome — Bowie, TX
- St. William — Montague, TX
- Shared website: stmarycatholichenrietta.org
- Shared parish office: 105 S. Barrett, Henrietta, TX 76365
Parish Staff
The official diocesan directory lists the current pastor and a bookkeeper for St. William and the wider cluster. The previous pastor, Rev. Richard Collins, has since moved to diocesan Sacramental Ministry and Prison Ministry at the Catholic Center in Fort Worth.
- Pastor: Rev. Marianna Francis Chinthamalla, HGN (Helpers of the Holy Ghost) — phone 940-538-4214
- Bookkeeper: Carol Haigood
Patron: Saint William of Vercelli
The parish takes its name from Saint William of Vercelli (c. 1085–1142), an Italian hermit and monastic founder. As a young man he made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and on his return lived as a hermit on Monte Solicoli in the Campania region of southern Italy. He went on to found the famous Montevergine monastery and the related congregation (the Williamites / Order of Montevergine). His feast day in the Roman calendar is June 25.
St. Williams Cemetery
Just south of the town of Montague, on Catholic Cemetery Road off Highway 455, lies a historic Catholic cemetery known locally as St. Williams Cemetery (also recorded as the Montague Catholic Cemetery). It contains 150+ documented graves with burials going back to 1901 and continues to be an active parish cemetery — a tangible link between today's small Catholic community in Montague County and the generations of Catholic families who have lived there since the late 19th century.
- Location: south of Montague on Catholic Cemetery Road off Hwy 455
- Burials: 150+ from 1901 to present
- Also known as: Montague Catholic Cemetery
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the St. William cluster office by phone, email, or post. The office is open weekdays and is closed for lunch in the early afternoon. Newcomers are encouraged to complete a parishioner registration form available on the parish website.
- Phone: 940-538-4214
- Fax: 940-538-6638
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM (closed 12:30–1:30 PM)
- Mailing: 105 S. Barrett, Henrietta, TX 76365
- Church: 311 South Union, Montague, TX 76251