About San Jose de Calasanz · Lockney, Texas
San Jose de Calasanz is a small Catholic parish serving the Lockney community in Floyd County, Texas, on the South Plains of West Texas. Established in 1963 and entrusted to the Diocese of Lubbock, the parish is named for St. Joseph Calasanz, the 16th-century Spanish priest who founded the Piarist teaching order and the first free public schools in Europe. Sunday Mass is celebrated in English at 8:00 a.m. for a faithful community of roughly 63 attendees, with weekday Mass on Thursday evening. The parish is pastored by Rev. Josekutty "Thomas" Kadanthott, who was assigned in March 2024, supported by a parish secretary and a Parish Catechetical Leader.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Joseph Calasanz (Spanish priest, founder of the Piarists and of the first free Christian schools)
- Rector
- Rev. Josekutty "Thomas" Kadanthott
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lubbock
Why belong here
San Jose de Calasanz offers a close-knit, bilingual-heritage Catholic community right in the small town of Lockney, with a Sunday English Mass and a weekday Mass on Thursday evening that fit working farm and family schedules. The parish is part of the larger Diocese of Lubbock family of 60 parishes and benefits from diocesan support for faith formation, while maintaining the personal touch of a small parish — a pastor who knows his flock, a parish secretary, and a Parish Catechetical Leader. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed by name at 301 SE Fourth Street, with confession available by appointment and regular devotions on Thursday.
Mass times at San Jose de Calasanz
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
- Thursday 4:45 pm
Parish Identity and Patron
San Jose de Calasanz takes its name from St. Joseph Calasanz (José de Calasanz, 1557–1648), a Spanish priest from Peralta de la Sal in Aragon who moved to Rome and founded the first free public Christian school for poor boys. He later established the Pious Schools (Piarists), the first Catholic religious order whose members take a fourth vow dedicated to the education of youth. Pope Pius XII named him Universal Patron of all Christian popular schools in 1948. The parish lives out that patron's educational and evangelizing spirit through its catechetical leader, faith formation, and weekly Mass offerings to a rural West Texas flock.
- Patron: St. Joseph Calasanz
- Liturgical feast day: August 25
- Founded Pious Schools (Piarists) and Europe's first free public schools
- Universal Patron of all Christian popular schools (since 1948)
History of the Parish
San Jose de Calasanz was established in 1963 in the small Floyd County town of Lockney, Texas. At the time, the region was still part of a wider West Texas Catholic structure; the Diocese of Lubbock itself would not be erected until 1983. Today the parish serves the Catholic faithful in and around Lockney, drawing roughly 63 worshippers to its Sunday English Mass. It is one of two parishes in Floyd County (alongside St. Mary Magdalen in Floydada) that together account for about 1,139 Catholics in the area.
- Parish established: 1963
- Diocese of Lubbock: established 1983
- Floyd County Catholic population: ~1,139
- Reported weekend Mass attendance: ~63
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Josekutty "Thomas" Kadanthott, who was formally assigned as pastor on March 22, 2024. He had previously served in the diocese as a Parochial Vicar from July 2023. Lay staff include parish secretary Dianna Vasquez and Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL) Valerie Ascencio, who coordinate the parish office and faith formation respectively.
- Pastor: Rev. Josekutty "Thomas" Kadanthott (since March 22, 2024)
- Administrator ad interim (2023): Rev. Nahum Lopez
- Secretary: Dianna Vasquez
- Parish Catechetical Leader: Valerie Ascencio
Mass and Worship Schedule
Public worship at San Jose de Calasanz centers on two Masses each week. Sunday Mass is celebrated in English at 8:00 a.m., and a Thursday evening Mass follows confession at 5:30 p.m. Confession (Penance) is heard at 4:45 p.m. on Thursdays before the weekday Mass, and is also available by appointment through the parish office. Additional devotions are listed in the parish bulletin.
- Sunday Mass — 8:00 a.m. (English)
- Thursday Mass — 5:30 p.m. (English)
- Thursday Confession — 4:45 p.m.
- Confession also by appointment
- Devotions — see parish bulletin for current times
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance on a regular weekly schedule (see above). For other sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office during office hours (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) to begin preparation.
- Eucharist: Sunday 8:00 a.m. and Thursday 5:30 p.m.
- Penance: Thursday 4:45 p.m. and by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick: contact parish office
Parish Office, Location, and Contact
The parish office is located at 301 SE Fourth Street in Lockney, Texas, with a mailing address of PO Box 505, Lockney, TX 79241. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The office phone is 806.652.5055. The parish is listed in the Diocese of Lubbock directory under San Jose de Calasanz, Lockney.
- Street address: 301 SE Fourth Street, Lockney, TX 79241
- Mailing address: PO Box 505, Lockney, TX 79241
- Office phone: 806.652.5055
- Office hours: Mon/Wed/Fri, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Faith Formation and Ministries
San Jose de Calasanz coordinates faith formation through its Parish Catechetical Leader, Valerie Ascencio, working with the pastor to prepare parishioners for the sacraments and ongoing religious education. The parish relies on the wider diocesan programming of the Diocese of Lubbock for catechetical resources, retreats, and youth events, while maintaining the personal, small-parish character of its local catechesis.
- Parish Catechetical Leader: Valerie Ascencio
- Faith formation coordinated with the Diocese of Lubbock
- Sacramental preparation through the parish office
Diocese of Lubbock
San Jose de Calasanz is one of 60 parishes in the Diocese of Lubbock, a Catholic diocese covering 25 counties on the Llano Estacado (Staked Plains) and Rolling Plains of West Texas and serving more than 136,000 Catholics. The diocese was canonically erected in 1983 and its mother church is Christ the King Cathedral in Lubbock.
- Diocese: Lubbock
- Established: 1983
- Catholics served diocese-wide: ~136,000
- Parishes in the diocese: 60
- Cathedral: Christ the King Cathedral, Lubbock
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Nahum Lopez2023 – 2024 (ad interim)
Named administrator ad interim July 1, 2023 for San Jose de Calasanz together with St. Mary Magdalene, Floydada and Sacred Heart, Petersburg.
- Rev. Josekutty "Thomas" KadanthottMarch 22, 2024 – present
Initially assigned as Parochial Vicar in the 2023 diocesan reassignments; installed as pastor of San Jose de Calasanz on March 22, 2024.