About Santa Cruz · Laredo, Texas
Santa Cruz Mission is a small Spanish-language Catholic mission church serving a neighborhood in Laredo, Texas, under the Diocese of Laredo. As a dependent mission of Holy Redeemer Church — an Augustinian (O.S.A.) parish just blocks away on Garcia Street — Santa Cruz extends the parish's ministry to families living near 2002 Lee Avenue on Laredo's south side. Mass is offered twice a week (Sunday morning and Wednesday evening), and the mission shares its pastor, deacon, and parish office staff with the mother parish of Holy Redeemer, whose ministries — including the Guadalupanas, Sociedad de la Adoración Nocturna, Knights of Columbus Council 14100, Altar Servers, and youth group — also serve mission parishioners. The name "Santa Cruz" (Holy Cross) points to the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated in the universal Church on September 14.
- Patron
- Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) — The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
- Rector
- Rev. Francisco León, O.S.A.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Laredo (Bishop James A. Tamayo, D.D.)
Why belong here
Santa Cruz Mission offers a close-knit, Spanish-speaking Eucharistic community for Catholic families in south-central Laredo who want the convenience of a nearby Sunday Mass (9:30 a.m.) and a midweek Mass (Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.) without having to drive to a larger parish. As a mission of Holy Redeemer Church, it shares the Augustinian spirituality of its mother parish, an active deacon, and the broader slate of ministries offered through Holy Redeemer — Guadalupanas, Nocturnal Adoration Society, Knights of Columbus Council 14100, youth group, altar servers, and more. For anyone looking for a welcoming, neighborhood-sized Catholic church where the same pastor and staff know you by name, Santa Cruz Mission is a humble and devoted option.
Mass times at Santa Cruz
Weekly Mass schedule
About Santa Cruz Mission
Santa Cruz Mission is a small Catholic mission church at 2002 Lee Avenue in Laredo, Texas, operated as a dependent mission of Holy Redeemer Church under the Diocese of Laredo. The mission offers Sunday and Wednesday Masses in Spanish (with English) and is served by the same Augustinian pastor and deacon who staff Holy Redeemer. Because it is a mission and not a standalone parish, all sacramental records and administrative business are handled through the parish office at Holy Redeemer Church, 1602 Garcia Street.
- Mission church, not an independent parish
- Mother parish: Holy Redeemer Church (1602 Garcia St., Laredo)
- Diocese of Laredo
- Bilingual liturgical schedule (predominantly Spanish)
Clergy & Staff
Santa Cruz Mission shares its clergy with Holy Redeemer Church. The pastor is Rev. Francisco León, O.S.A., a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians), who leads both communities. Serving alongside him is Deacon Edmundo O. López, Jr. Inquiries about sacraments, records, or parish life can be directed to the parish office at Holy Redeemer, which is staffed Tuesday through Friday.
- Rev. Francisco León, O.S.A. — Pastor (Order of Saint Augustine)
- Rev. Mr. Edmundo O. López, Jr. — Deacon
- Parish contact: Holy Redeemer parish office
Diocese of Laredo
Santa Cruz Mission belongs to the Diocese of Laredo, whose current bishop is Most Rev. James A. Tamayo, D.D. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of San Agustín in downtown Laredo, located about 2.2 km southeast of the mission. The Diocese of Laredo covers the Catholic faithful in this border region of South Texas.
- Diocese of Laredo
- Bishop: James A. Tamayo, D.D.
- Cathedral: San Agustín, Laredo
Connection to Holy Redeemer Church
Because Santa Cruz is a mission of Holy Redeemer rather than an independent parish, virtually all of its sacramental, administrative, and ministerial life is shared with the mother parish. Holy Redeemer, an Augustinian parish, runs an extensive slate of ministries, organizations, and devotional groups — many of which welcome and serve mission parishioners as well. The parish office, located at Holy Redeemer, handles calls, records, and sacramental preparation for both communities.
- Mother parish: Holy Redeemer Church, 1602 Garcia St., Laredo, TX 78040
- Phone (shared): (956) 723-7171
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Ministries (through Holy Redeemer)
Specific ministries of Santa Cruz Mission itself are not separately listed on the diocesan website, but as part of Holy Redeemer Parish, mission families participate in the full range of organizations that Holy Redeemer offers. These reflect a strong Spanish-speaking, devotional Catholic culture and include prayer groups, Marian sodalities, service organizations, and youth formation.
- Altar Society
- Youth Group
- Knights of Columbus Council 14100
- Agustinos Seculares (Secular Augustinians)
- Santísima Trinidad
- Sagrado Corazón
- Altar Servers
- Sociedad de la Adoración Nocturna (N.A.S. — Nocturnal Adoration Society)
- Guadalupanas
- Evangelización Activa
- Talleres de Oración y Vida (Prayer and Life Workshops)
Patron & Feast Day
The mission takes its name from Santa Cruz — Spanish for "Holy Cross" — and is associated with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated by the universal Church each year on September 14. This feast, one of the oldest in the Christian calendar (observed in Rome by the end of the seventh century), commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena around 326 AD and its recovery from the Persians by Emperor Heraclius in 629. The day is also known as the Triumph of the Cross.
- Patron: Holy Cross (Santa Cruz)
- Feast: September 14 — Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Visit, Contact & Location
Santa Cruz Mission is located on the south side of Laredo at 2002 Lee Avenue, Texas 78040. The mailing, telephone, and sacramental records of the mission are all handled by the Holy Redeemer parish office. Mass times and the parish calendar are published on the Diocese of Laredo's parish page.
- Address: 2002 Lee Ave, Laredo, TX 78040
- Phone: (956) 723-7171
- Fax: (956) 723-7194
- Diocesan parish page: dioceseoflaredo.org/cpt_parishes/santa-cruz-mission/
- GCatholic ID: 34169