About Santa Teresa · Fort Hancock, Texas
Santa Teresa (Santa Teresa de Jesús) is a small Roman Catholic parish in Fort Hancock, Texas, a rural border town in Hudspeth County about 60 miles southeast of El Paso. The parish was founded in 1920 and serves roughly 160 families in one of the poorest communities along the U.S.–Mexico border. Today the parish is administered from the Diocese of El Paso with Rev. Angel Maldonado, OSM, as pastor and Rev. Angel Aguilar as parochial vicar, but no priest resides in Fort Hancock; the day-to-day life of the parish is held together by Sister Silvia Chacón, ASC, who has served as the sole staff member and parish life coordinator for more than a decade. The current church building, located at 1042 N. Knox Street, was erected in 1937 with funding from Catholic Extension Society donors and remains the heart of religious, cultural, and social life on both sides of the Rio Grande.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- Santa Teresa de Jesús (St. Teresa of Ávila)
- Rector
- Rev. Angel Maldonado, OSM
- Diocese
- Diocese of El Paso
Why belong here
Santa Teresa offers a deeply rooted bilingual Catholic community in one of the most underserved corners of the Texas–Mexico border, where worship, cultural identity, and mercy to the poor are inseparable. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a small but beautiful 1937 sanctuary, a parish hall alive with fiestas and fundraisers, and ministries that reach out to grieving families, sick neighbors, and families in need on both sides of the border. With no resident priest, the parish is famously held together by Sister Silvia Chacón, ASC, and a tight-knit community of women who serve as catechists, choir, cleaners, and ministers of consolation — making it an extraordinarily personal, family-like parish for anyone seeking an authentic, mission-driven Catholic home.
Mass times at Santa Teresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 1:00 pm (bilingual)
- By appointment
Parish Overview
Santa Teresa is a bilingual (Spanish–English) Roman Catholic parish serving the small border town of Fort Hancock in Hudspeth County, Texas. Founded in 1920 and erected as a church building in 1937 with the help of the Catholic Extension Society, it is part of the Diocese of El Paso and serves roughly 160 families. Because the parish has no priest in residence, the day-to-day ministry is led by Sister Silvia Chacón, ASC, who is the sole staff member and serves as parish life coordinator, catechetical leader, confirmation coordinator, choir director, and ministry trainer.
History of the Parish
The Catholic presence in Fort Hancock dates to 1920, when the mission of Santiago Apóstol was transferred to the town's care and sacramental registers began to be kept. Between 1920 and 1936 the community was served by missionary priests including Fathers Joseph Wanner, Miguel Garcia, and José Quesada, who traveled from larger parishes. In 1937 the present church was built with significant support from Catholic Extension Society donors; Father Amancio Manubens continued to serve the parish until 1941. The parish registers from 1920 to 1956 are preserved in the FamilySearch Library.
- Parish registers, 1920–1956, preserved at FamilySearch Library
- Mission of Santiago Apóstol transferred to Fort Hancock in 1920
- Current church building constructed in 1937 with Catholic Extension Society funding
- Father Amancio Manubens served until 1941
Pastor and Clergy
According to the Diocese of El Paso's current parish assignments, Santa Teresa is served by Rev. Angel Maldonado, OSM (Order of the Servants of Mary), as Pastor, and Rev. Angel Aguilar as Parochial Vicar. The same two priests are also assigned to Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in El Paso. Neither resides in Fort Hancock, so they travel to celebrate Mass and the sacraments. Sister Silvia Chacón, ASC — Adorers of the Blood of Christ — serves as the on-site parish life coordinator and sole staff member.
- Rev. Angel Maldonado, OSM — Pastor
- Rev. Angel Aguilar — Parochial Vicar
- Sister Silvia Chacón, ASC — Parish Life Coordinator, Catechetical Leader, Choir Director
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Santa Teresa runs a wide range of ministries for its roughly 160 families. Sister Silvia coordinates religious education for youth, confirmation preparation, the parish choir, and ongoing ministry training for lay leaders. A healing ministry makes home visits to the sick, especially the elderly and those diagnosed with serious illness, and a bereavement ministry welcomes grieving families after funerals with flowers, cloth-covered tables, and dignified hospitality. The parish also collects and distributes donated clothing and household items to families in need on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border.
- Religious education and youth catechesis
- Confirmation preparation
- Parish choir
- Healing ministry / visits to the sick and homebound
- Bereavement ministry and funeral reception
- Donated clothing and household goods distribution
Community Life and Fiestas
Parish fiestas, bazaars, and fundraisers are central to the life of Santa Teresa and to its fundraising for building repairs and ministry. The attached parish hall is the hub of these activities, though it currently doubles as storage for fiesta booths, donated clothing, religious education materials, and fundraiser supplies — a problem the parish hopes to solve through the El Cuartito Tilma project. Visitors have described the parish hall's yard sales and community gatherings as warm and welcoming, with parish women often opening the space to travelers and passers-by.
- Annual parish fiestas and bazaars
- Yard sales in the attached reception area
- Welcoming of travelers and visitors to the parish hall
The El Cuartito Tilma Project
Launched through the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso, the El Cuartito Tilma project is a planned 30' x 30' storage room that would allow the parish hall to be restored to its intended ministry functions: a clean, open space for catechists to teach children, a dignified place for bereaved families to gather after funerals, a welcoming environment for parish groups, and a more sustainable system for storing fiesta and bazaar supplies. The project is described by the parish not as 'just a room' but as a transformative gift that will enable the community to serve with even greater love.
- 30' x 30' planned storage addition
- Will free parish hall for catechesis, bereavement ministry, and gatherings
- Funded through the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso
Support from Catholic Extension Society
Catholic Extension Society donors have supported Santa Teresa for nearly 90 years, first helping build the church in 1937 and most recently funding Sister Silvia's salary for a decade. The parish was profiled in the Spring 2019 issue of Extension Magazine, which highlighted Sister Silvia's role as 'the heart and soul of Santa Teresa Parish' and the community's deep poverty and resilience. Donations to Catholic Extension continue to underwrite her ministry of evangelization, service to the poor, and works of mercy.
- Catholic Extension Society helped build the church in 1937
- Has funded Sister Silvia's salary for 10 years
- Featured in Spring 2019 Extension Magazine
Fort Hancock and the Border Context
Fort Hancock is a small Rio Grande border town in Hudspeth County about 30 miles northwest of Sierra Blanca, originally established as Camp Rice in 1881 and renamed Fort Hancock in 1886 after Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock. The army abandoned the post in 1895, but the civilian town endured and grew alongside the railroad. Its population hovered near 400 for most of the 20th century and rose to roughly 1,713 by 2000. The parish is one of only two main employers in town (along with the high school and U.S. Customs and Border Protection) and serves a community in which most residents have not completed high school and about half live below the federal poverty line.
- Town grew up around Camp Rice (1881), renamed Fort Hancock 1886
- Roughly half of residents live below the poverty line
- Most households do not have running, drinkable water
- Parish serves both U.S. and Mexican side of the Rio Grande
Visiting Santa Teresa
Travelers are welcome at Santa Teresa. The most reliable time to attend Mass is Sunday at 12:00 pm, with confessions at 1:00 pm. The church sits on Knox Avenue in Fort Hancock and is easy to find from State Highway 20. Visitors have noted that the sanctuary, though small and simple, is quite beautiful, and that the women of the parish often welcome travelers into the attached reception area. To arrange a visit, tour, or sacrament outside of scheduled times, call the parish office at (915) 769-3771.
- Sunday 12:00 pm bilingual Mass is the principal weekly gathering
- Confessions Sundays at 1:00 pm or by appointment
- Parish office: (915) 769-3771
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Wanner1920–c.1936
One of the early missionary priests who traveled from larger parishes to serve the Fort Hancock faithful during the parish's first sixteen years.
- Rev. Miguel Garcia1920s–1930s
Served the parish during the early years of its establishment.
- Rev. José Quesada1920s–1930s
Served the parish during the early years of its establishment.
- Rev. Amancio Manubensuntil 1941
Continued to shepherd the parish after the 1937 construction of the present church building.
- Rev. Angel Maldonado, OSM (Order of the Servants of Mary)2024–present
Currently listed by the Diocese of El Paso as Pastor of Santa Teresa, Fort Hancock; also listed as Pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul, El Paso.
- Rev. Angel Aguilar2024–present
Currently listed by the Diocese of El Paso as Parochial Vicar of Santa Teresa, Fort Hancock (and of Ss. Peter and Paul, El Paso).