About San Lorenzo · Clint, Texas
San Lorenzo Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the small Lower Valley community of Clint, Texas, part of the Diocese of El Paso. The parish grew out of a mission founded in 1913, with its chapel dedicated the following year, and was formally erected as a parish in 1970. It is best known across the Borderland for the annual San Lorenzo Fiesta, a multi-day bazaar timed to the August 10 feast of its patron, Saint Lawrence, that draws thousands each year. Today the parish serves a multicultural community with Masses in both Spanish and English and a small staff of lay ministers who keep worship, formation, the gift shop and cemetery running year-round.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo)
- Rector
- Rev. Martin Alonso Bustos, M.N.M. (Comboni Missionary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of El Paso
Why belong here
San Lorenzo is a welcoming, multicultural parish that serves the Lower Valley community of Clint with both English- and Spanish-language Masses, a Religious Formation program for children and adults, weekly Confession and Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a parish gift shop and cemetery on site. The annual San Lorenzo Fiesta each August is both the parish's signature fundraiser and a powerful expression of faith and family tradition that brings together generations of Clint-area Catholics. Parishioners are invited into a community that names worship, education, family life, community outreach, evangelization and faithful service as the core of its mission.
Mass times at San Lorenzo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
History of San Lorenzo Parish
San Lorenzo traces its roots to 1913, when the mission was founded in the small Lower Valley community of Clint, Texas. The original chapel was dedicated in 1914, and the community was formally erected as a parish of the Diocese of El Paso in 1970. The first San Lorenzo Fiesta grew directly out of those early years as a fundraiser to build up the church, and that annual tradition — now more than a century old — remains the parish's signature event. Bell tower replacement after the May 2006 collapse is the most visible example of how fiesta proceeds have continually reinvested in the church itself.
- Mission founded: 1913
- Original chapel dedicated: 1914
- Erected as a parish: 1970
- Bell tower replaced after May 2006 collapse
San Lorenzo Fiesta — The Annual August Celebration
The San Lorenzo Fiesta is the parish's signature community event and has been called the largest Catholic church bazaar in the El Paso Borderland. It is timed each year to the August 10 feast of Saint Lawrence and traditionally runs for three days on and around the church grounds at 611 Avenida de San Lorenzo. The fiesta opens with a 3 a.m. pilgrimage procession from the San Elizario Mission to San Lorenzo in Clint, and the grounds then fill with food, music, dance (including traditional Danza Don Lupe Roman performances), live entertainment, and family gatherings that draw generations of former Clint residents home. In a typical year, more than 10,000 people visit each day; the 2020 fiesta was canceled due to COVID-19, returned at about 50% capacity in 2021, and resumed at full capacity in 2022. The 2023 edition was the 109th annual fiesta.
- Three-day bazaar held in and around the church grounds
- Hours typically noon to midnight each day; admission is free
- Annual 3 a.m. procession from San Elizario Mission to San Lorenzo
- Fiesta proceeds are the parish's main fundraiser
- Canceled in 2020 (pandemic); reduced in 2021; full capacity from 2022
Faith, Patron Saint, and Pilgrimage Tradition
Saint Lawrence was a deacon martyred in Rome on August 10, 258 A.D., during the persecution under Emperor Valerian, and is one of the most venerated early Christian martyrs. He is traditionally depicted with the gridiron on which he was burned. At San Lorenzo in Clint, the faithful stream into the church during the fiesta to pray, light candles, and purchase milagros (small religious folk charms) at the gift shop in thanksgiving or petition. During the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, San Lorenzo was named a Jubilee Church, recognizing it as a place of pilgrimage and mercy in the diocese.
- Saint Lawrence: Roman deacon and martyr, died August 10, 258 A.D.
- Often depicted with the gridiron of his martyrdom
- Candles and milagros available at the parish gift shop
- Designated Jubilee Church, Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, 2016
Religious Formation
The parish maintains an active Religious Formation program for its multi-generational community. Formation is coordinated by Karla Rodriguez and operates alongside the parish's worship, outreach, and evangelization efforts to support children and adults in faith formation and sacramental preparation.
- Religious Formation Coordinator: Karla Rodriguez
- Faith formation for children and adults
- Coordinated with parish sacramental life
Parish Staff and Clergy
San Lorenzo is shepherded by a Comboni Missionary priest and served by a small, dedicated lay staff. The parish office is staffed Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the church building is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Pastor: Rev. Martin Alonso Bustos M.N.M. (Comboni Missionary)
- Administrative Secretary: Elisa Martinez
- Secretary / Receptionist: Rossy Corral
- Religious Formation Coordinator: Karla Rodriguez
- Sacristan / Gift Shop: Maria Lopez
- Housekeeper / Gift Shop: Rebeca M. Rodriguez
- Custodian / Maintenance: Bonifacio Piña
- Cemetery Maintenance: Jesus Hernandez
Parish Office Hours and Building Access
Practical visiting and contact information as listed on the parish website.
- Parish Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 p.m.)
- Church open Monday–Saturday 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Sunday 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
- Parish Office address: 13021 Center St., P.O. Box 215, Clint, TX 79836
- Phone: (915) 851-2255
Gift Shop and Cemetery
Two of the parish's most visible year-round ministries are its gift shop and its cemetery. The gift shop is staffed by the Sacristan and a housekeeper and is a place where visitors and pilgrims can purchase religious articles, candles, and milagros. Cemetery maintenance is handled by a dedicated member of the parish staff, reflecting the parish's long-term care of its community's resting places.
- Gift Shop — religious articles, candles, and milagros
- Gift Shop staff: Maria Lopez (Sacristan/Gift Shop) and Rebeca M. Rodriguez (Housekeeper/Gift Shop)
- Cemetery Maintenance: Jesus Hernandez
Visit, Directions, and Contact
San Lorenzo sits in the heart of Clint in the Lower Valley of the Diocese of El Paso. From Interstate 10, visitors exit and head south on FM-1110 (Clint Road), then turn right onto Center Street to reach the parish office at 13021 Center Street; the church itself is at 611 Avenida de San Lorenzo. The parish can be reached by phone at (915) 851-2255 and by email at [email protected], and it maintains a public Facebook page under the name San Lorenzo Catholic Church Clint, Texas.
- From I-10, exit and travel south on FM-1110, then turn right on Center Street
- Church address: 611 Avenida de San Lorenzo, Clint, TX 79836
- Parish office: 13021 Center St., P.O. Box 215, Clint, TX 79836
- Phone: (915) 851-2255
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/SanLorenzoClintTexas