San Pedro the Fisherman

About San Pedro the Fisherman Mission

San Pedro the Fisherman is a Catholic mission church in Tatum, Texas, established in 1989 within the Diocese of Tyler. It serves as a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marshall and is one of the smallest Catholic worship sites in the diocese. The mission provides bilingual (English and Spanish) liturgical ministry to the Tatum area, which lies in rural Rusk County in the East Texas piney woods. Mass is offered on weekends and selected weekdays, with a dedicated Spanish Mass each Sunday.

History & Founding

The mission was created in 1989 — only three years after the Diocese of Tyler itself was erected (December 12, 1986) — to serve Catholics in the Tatum area. From its founding, it has been administered from St. Joseph Parish in Marshall. The mission's patron, Saint Peter the Fisherman, recalls the apostle's call by Christ on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Hispanic ministry has been central to the mission's identity since the 1990s, particularly under Father Octavio Suárez, who served as priest-in-charge beginning May 26, 1994, in tandem with his role as administrator of St. Jude Parish in Henderson.

• 1989 – Mission of San Pedro the Fisherman founded as a mission of St. Joseph, Marshall
• 1994 – Father Octavio Suárez assigned as priest-in-charge
• 1998 – Father Suárez incardinated into the Diocese of Tyler
• 2021 – Father Octavio Suárez dies in Medellín, Colombia, April 22

Parish Identity & Patron

The mission is named for Saint Peter the Apostle in his role as a Galilean fisherman — 'San Pedro el Pescador' / 'Saint Peter the Fisherman' — recalling Christ's words in Luke 5:10: 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.' The patron's feast is celebrated on June 29, the joint Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. The mission's bilingual character is reflected in both its English name (Saint Peter the Fisherman) and its Spanish liturgical identity (San Pedro el Pescador).

• Patron: Saint Peter the Apostle (the Fisherman)
• Feast Day: June 29 (Saints Peter and Paul)

Clergy & Leadership

San Pedro the Fisherman is currently administered by Father Elpidio López, a priest of the Diocese of Tyler, as listed in the diocese's official 'Our Priests' directory. As a mission of St. Joseph in Marshall, the mission shares pastoral coordination with the parent parish. Earlier, Father Octavio Suárez, CMF, served as priest-in-charge beginning in 1994, combining the Tatum assignment with his role at St. Jude Parish in Henderson.

• Current Administrator: Father Elpidio López (Diocese of Tyler)
• Former priest-in-charge: Father Octavio Suárez, CMF (1994 onward; d. 2021)
• Parent parish: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Marshall

Sacraments & Pastoral Care

As a mission, San Pedro the Fisherman coordinates sacramental preparation through its parent parish, St. Joseph in Marshall. Baptisms, marriages, and other liturgical celebrations are arranged with the parent parish and the mission's administrator. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available on request.

• Baptism – arranged through St. Joseph, Marshall
• Marriage – preparation and celebration arranged through St. Joseph, Marshall
• Anointing of the Sick – by request
• First Communion / Confirmation – coordinated with parish catechesis

Diocese of Tyler

San Pedro the Fisherman belongs to the Diocese of Tyler, the fourteenth Catholic diocese of Texas, erected by Pope John Paul II on December 12, 1986. The diocese was carved from portions of the former Dioceses of Beaumont, Dallas, and Galveston-Houston and covers thirty-two counties of northeast Texas. Its cathedral is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler. The diocese today numbers roughly 119,000 Catholics served by about 90 priests across 53 parishes and missions, with a notable tradition of Hispanic and rural mission ministry in the East Texas oil-and-timber region.

• Diocese: Diocese of Tyler (est. 1986)
• Diocese website: dioceseoftyler.org
• Parent parish: St. Joseph, Marshall
• Surrounding ministries include Henderson, Longview, Nacogdoches, and Tyler

Visiting Tatum, Texas

Tatum is a small East Texas town in Rusk County, encircled by the larger commercial centers of Longview, Marshall, Henderson, Carthage, and Kilgore. The town was founded in the 1860s by the Tatum family and became a railroad boomtown in 1882 when the Santa Fe Railway passed through. The area is dominated by pine forests, farms, country roads, and rural churches. Visiting Catholics traveling through East Texas are welcomed at San Pedro the Fisherman, and parishioners from neighboring towns often make use of the bilingual Sunday schedule.

• Tatum, TX – Rusk County, East Texas
• Nearby: Longview (~20 mi), Marshall (~25 mi), Henderson (~25 mi), Carthage (~20 mi)
• Address: 1835 Chaparral Street, Tatum, TX 75691
• Phone: (903) 947-2454