About Santa Teresita · Laredo, Texas
Santa Teresita Mission is a small Catholic mission church in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, located on Hwy 59 in the unincorporated community of Ranchitos Las Lomas on the south side of Laredo. It operates as a dependent mission of San Martín de Porres Catholic Church in Laredo — meaning it shares its mother parish's pastoral team and has no mission office of its own — and serves a rural, predominantly Spanish-speaking Hispanic community just outside the city. Sunday Mass is celebrated in English and Spanish at 10:30 am, with the sacrament of Reconciliation offered 30 minutes before Mass, and baptisms are scheduled the last Sunday of each month after the Sunday Mass.
- Patron
- Santa Teresita (Saint Teresa — commonly Teresa of Ávila)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Alejandro Salazar
- Diocese
- Diocese of Laredo
Why belong here
Santa Teresita is a welcoming, family-sized mission in the heart of the Ranchitos Las Lomas community where Mass is celebrated bilingually in English and Spanish, making it an easy fit for the area's predominantly Hispanic Catholic population. Because it is part of the San Martín de Porres parish family, parishioners benefit from a full pastoral team — monsignor-pastor, parochial vicar, and four permanent deacons — who are present at the mission's weekly Mass, hear confessions before Mass, and prepare children and adults for the sacraments. Families raising young Catholic children will appreciate the CCD catechesis requirement (two years of classes for children age 7 and up) and the predictable, monthly baptism schedule the last Sunday of the month.
Mass times at Santa Teresita
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass
Santa Teresita Mission — Overview
Santa Teresita Mission is a small Catholic mission church serving the rural community of Ranchitos Las Lomas on the south side of Laredo, Texas. Officially classified as a mission (not an independent parish), it is administered as part of San Martín de Porres Catholic Church and is cared for by the same pastoral team: Pastor Rev. Msgr. Alejandro Salazar, Parochial Vicar Rev. Elías Alberto Sánchez, and four permanent deacons. Its central act of community life is the bilingual Sunday Mass at 10:30 am, accompanied by Reconciliation a half hour before Mass and a once-a-month baptism schedule after the Sunday liturgy.
- Located on Hwy 59, Ranchitos Las Lomas, Laredo, TX 78044
- Diocese of Laredo (jurisdiction); Mission of San Martín de Porres (mother parish)
- Phone (mother parish office): 956-723-5215
Baptisms (Bautizos)
Because Santa Teresita has no on-site parish office, all baptism arrangements for the mission are handled through the San Martín de Porres Parish Office (956-723-5215, ext. 18). Baptisms at the mission are scheduled for the last Sunday of each month, immediately following the 10:30 am Mass. Children age 7 and older — that is, children who have reached the age of reason — must first register for and complete two years of CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine / catechism) classes before being baptized, in accordance with diocesan preparation norms.
- Baptisms — last Sunday of the month, after the 10:30 am Mass
- Registration & scheduling: San Martín de Porres Parish Office, 956-723-5215 ext. 18
- Children 7+ must complete 2 years of CCD classes before baptism
- Bilingual instructions provided in both English and Spanish on the diocesan page
Religious Education (CCD)
The mission's primary ongoing formation ministry is the CCD (catechism) program, offered in coordination with San Martín de Porres. CCD here functions not just as weekly religious education for baptized Catholic children, but as a required two-year preparation track for any child age 7 or older who is seeking baptism at the mission. It is the bridge ministry between non-baptized school-age children and sacramental initiation.
- CCD for school-age children
- Two consecutive years required for children age 7+ before baptism
- Coordinated through San Martín de Porres parish office
Pastoral Team and Clergy
Because Santa Teresita is a dependent mission of San Martín de Porres, the same clergy who shepherd the mother parish also care for this community. The lead pastor is Rev. Msgr. Alejandro Salazar, assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Elías Alberto Sánchez, and supported by four permanent deacons: Frank Idrogo, Henry Mejia, Leonel San Miguel, and Luis Eduardo Raines. This unusually robust deacon presence for a small mission suggests an active diaconate ministry of service, charity, and possibly liturgical support.
- Rev. Msgr. Alejandro Salazar — Pastor
- Rev. Elías Alberto Sánchez — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Deacon Frank Idrogo
- Rev. Deacon Henry Mejia
- Rev. Deacon Leonel San Miguel
- Rev. Deacon Luis Eduardo Raines
Mother Parish — San Martín de Porres
San Martín de Porres Catholic Church in Laredo is the mother parish of Santa Teresita Mission. All sacramental paperwork, baptism scheduling, CCD registration, and general parish office business for the mission are routed through the San Martín de Porres parish office. Parishioners of the mission are effectively parishioners of San Martín de Porres who worship locally at the Santa Teresita chapel on Hwy 59, and they are welcomed to participate in the larger parish's programs.
- San Martín de Porres Catholic Church, Laredo, TX — mother parish
- Phone: 956-723-5215 (extension 18 for baptism inquiries)
- Website: https://sanmartincatholicchurch.org/santa-teresita-mission/
Diocese of Laredo
Santa Teresita Mission is officially listed in the directory of the Diocese of Laredo, which covers the Catholic faithful in Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Starr, Maverick, Dimmit, and surrounding South Texas counties. The mission is one of several missions clustered around Laredo, alongside San Vicente, Santa María de la Merced, and Our Lady of Grace. Diocesan-level Safe Environment requirements and other parish-wide policies apply at the mission as at any parish in the diocese.
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Laredo
- Listed as a mission (not an independent parish) in the diocesan directory
- Subject to Diocesan Safe Environment Requirements
Visiting Santa Teresita Mission
Visitors and parishioners will find Santa Teresita Mission on Hwy 59 in the small community of Ranchitos Las Lomas, just south of Laredo proper in Webb County. The mission has no on-site parish office and is administered from San Martín de Porres; advance inquiries about weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms, RCIA, or any paperwork should be directed to the mother-parish office. Mass-goers arriving for 10:30 am Sunday Mass will find Reconciliation available 10:00–10:30 am before Mass.
- Address: Hwy 59, Ranchitos Las Lomas, Laredo, TX 78044
- Sunday Mass: 10:30 am (bilingual English/Spanish)
- Contact: San Martín de Porres Parish Office, 956-723-5215