About Shrine of the True Cross · Dickinson, Texas
The Shrine of the True Cross is a Catholic parish and shrine in Dickinson, Texas, midway between Houston and Galveston in the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston. Originally founded in 1909 as St. Joseph's Church to serve Sicilian immigrants, it was renamed and dedicated in 1936 by Bishop Christopher E. Byrne after Bishop Byrne obtained a relic of the True Cross from the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, affiliating the parish with that basilica. The shrine is home to a Precious Relic of the Wood of the True Cross for perpetual public veneration, holds 24-hour Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and operates True Cross Catholic School, founded in 1946.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- The Holy Cross (Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
- Rector
- Rev. Ricardo (Rick) Arriola-Gonzalez
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
Why belong here
Shrine of the True Cross is one of very few Catholic shrines in the United States affiliated with the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, and is home to a Precious Relic of the Wood of the True Cross enshrined for perpetual public veneration — a rare privilege with attached indulgences. The parish offers a robust liturgical life including daily Mass in English and Sunday Mass in English and Spanish, a 24-hour Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in Deslatte Hall, the First Saturday Latin Novus Ordo devotions, and the annual Via Crucis with the Relic during Lent. Beyond devotion, the Shrine operates True Cross Catholic School (PreK3–8th), a wide range of faith formation for grades 1–12, OCIA (formerly RCIA), and active parish ministries including Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, Hispanic Ministry (Cursillo, family apostolate, young adult group), St. Veronica's Prayer Quilts, Bereavement, Homebound, Marriage, and Bible Study groups, plus a beloved annual Fall Festival.
Mass times at Shrine of the True Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM (before daily Mass)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Every First Saturday: 8:30 AM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — Adoration Chapel open 24 hours (in Deslatte Hall)
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Thursday after 8:30 AM Mass through Saturday at 4:00 PM
History of the Shrine
The Shrine of the True Cross has roots going back to 1908–1909, when Sicilian Italian immigrants in Dickinson needed a new church after the Ursuline St. Angela's school was destroyed by the Hurricane of 1900. Rev. Father Jerome A. Rapp built a small wooden mission church dedicated to St. Joseph, and on March 19, 1909 — the Feast of St. Joseph — Father Rapp administered First Holy Communion to a large class of children, founding the parish. In December 1934, the dynamic Rev. Father Thomas A. Carney became pastor and, with Bishop Christopher E. Byrne's approval, transformed the parish into a national center of devotion to the Cross. Father Carney commissioned Father Andrew B. Deslatte to obtain a relic from Rome's Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. On September 13, 1936, Bishop Byrne renamed and dedicated St. Joseph's as the Shrine of the True Cross and enshrined the relic for perpetual public veneration. The Shrine has since been affiliated with Santa Croce in Rome, with special indulgences attached.
- 1908: Site of old Ursuline school donated by Joseph Lobit
- March 19, 1909: First Mass and First Holy Communion at new St. Joseph's — parish founded
- December 1934: Father Thomas A. Carney appointed pastor
- 1936: Relic obtained from Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome
- September 13, 1936: Shrine renamed and dedicated by Bishop Christopher E. Byrne
- 1946: True Cross Catholic School founded by Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
- 1973: Monsignor Deslatte built the present church and school
- March 1, 1977: Father Eugene Cargill becomes pastor
- 2010: Mission/vision reaffirmed by Fr. Paul Felix
- 2017: Hurricane Harvey damage; school reopens fall 2018
- 2024: Mission/vision under revision by Fr. Rick Arriola
- 2026: 90th Anniversary of the renaming (1936–2026)
The Precious Relic of the True Cross
The Shrine's central treasure is its Precious Relic of the Wood of the True Cross, obtained in 1936 from the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome — the basilica founded by St. Helena around AD 326 after she discovered the True Cross in Jerusalem. St. Helena's pilgrimage to the Holy Land led her to the hill of Calvary, where three crosses were unearthed; the Cross of Christ was identified when it miraculously healed a dying woman. The relics were eventually distributed throughout the Roman Empire, with a sizable portion enshrined at Santa Croce in Rome, where the Shrine's relic originated. The relic is venerated perpetually and on special days: a kiss by the assembled faithful on Good Friday carries a plenary indulgence, and a solemn blessing with the relic is given on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). The relic is carried during the Stations of the Cross each Friday in Lent.
- Source: Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome
- Veneration before/after Holy Mass and during public events
- Plenary indulgence attached to Good Friday veneration
- Solemn blessing on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14)
- Carried in procession during Via Crucis each Friday in Lent
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Shrine supports families with lifelong faith formation programs for children in grades 1 through 12, along with sacramental preparation. The parish also offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for those seeking to enter the Catholic Church, an adapted OCIA for children, and Adult Confirmation for baptized Catholics aged 18 and older who have already received First Communion. The mission of the formation program is to 'joyfully lead children into a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church through a formation rooted in beauty, reverence and orthodoxy.'
- Faith Formation Grades 1–5
- Faith Formation Grades 6–8
- Faith Formation Grades 9–12
- Youth Confirmation (2-year journey, earliest 10th grade)
- First Communion preparation (2nd grade and above)
- Adult Confirmation (18+, with Baptism & First Communion)
- OCIA for Adults and adapted for children
- Director of Faith Formation: Miriam Sarahid Escobar (Hablo Español)
- First Sacraments Coordinator: Antonia Alfonso (Hablo Español)
- Coordinator of Catechetical Ministry: Aimee Clements
True Cross Catholic School
True Cross Catholic School is the parish's accredited Catholic elementary school, founded in 1946 by Father Thomas Carney when he invited the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur from Fort Worth to open the first mainland Catholic school on the Galveston County mainland at Highway 3 and Main Street. The school serves PreK3 through 8th grade and follows a classical, Christ-centered model of education dedicated to the integral formation of students. After Hurricane Harvey damaged the campus in August 2017, classes were temporarily held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Texas City until the building was renovated and reopened in fall 2018. The school adheres to Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston admissions policies and gives preference to siblings of enrolled students and Catholic families within parish boundaries.
- Founded 1946 by Sisters of St. Mary of Namur (Fort Worth)
- First mainland Catholic school in Galveston County
- Grades PreK3–8th
- Classical, Christ-centered curriculum
- Address: 400 FM 517 Road East, Dickinson, TX 77539
- Phone: (281) 337-5212
- Office hours: 7:45 AM – 3:15 PM
- Hurricane Harvey recovery 2017–2018
Parish Ministries & Community Life
The Shrine of the True Cross offers a wide range of lay ministries and groups for parishioners of every age, language, and stage of life. Active groups include the Knights of Columbus (Father Roach Council 3217 and the Fourth Degree Matthew H. Wilson Assembly 1988), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (serving those in need within the Dickinson School District), the Women's Club, Hispanic Ministry (Cursillo, Legion of Mary, family apostolate, young adult group), Bible Study groups, St. Veronica's Prayer Quilts apostolate, Bereavement Ministry (planning the annual All Souls' Mass at Mt. Olivet Cemetery), Homebound Ministry, Marriage Ministry, and the Adoration Ministry. Office Volunteers staff the parish front desk, and OCIA sponsors help journey with catechumens.
- Knights of Columbus — Father Roach Council 3217
- Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree — Matthew H. Wilson Assembly 1988
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — SVdP office 832-820-8325
- Hispanic Ministry — Cursillo, Legion of Mary, Family Apostolate, Young Adult Group
- St. Veronica's Prayer Quilts — Pat Harrington
- Bereavement Ministry — annual All Souls' Mass at Mt. Olivet Cemetery
- Homebound Ministry — Virtus-trained volunteers
- Bible Study Groups — various meeting times
- Marriage Ministry — sponsor couples
- Adoration Ministry — one hour weekly commitment
- Women's Club — luncheons, receptions, scholarships
- Office Volunteer — Silvia Perez, Pastoral Assistant
Sacraments
The Shrine celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments, with multiple formation pathways for initiation. Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage all have dedicated preparation tracks. The OCIA process welcomes unbaptized adults and adapted programs welcome children; Youth Confirmation is a two-year journey starting in 10th grade. Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office, with a 24/7 emergency line for Last Rites when a person is at the point of death. The shrine's confession schedule gives ample daily opportunity for the sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Baptism — infant and adult
- First Holy Communion — 2nd grade and up
- Confirmation — Youth (2-year, 10th grade+) and Adult (18+, baptized & communed)
- Matrimony — Marriage Ministry with sponsor couples
- Anointing of the Sick — 24/7 emergency line for Last Rites
- Reconciliation — weekday mornings, Wednesday evenings, Saturday afternoons, First Saturdays
Staff & Clergy
The Shrine is led by pastor Rev. Ricardo (Rick) Arriola-Gonzalez, supported by three permanent deacons: Dcn. Neil Lewis, Dcn. Raymundo Luna, and Dcn. Timothy North. The parish staff includes a Business Manager, a Pastoral Assistant, a Director of Faith Formation, a Coordinator of Catechetical Ministry, a First Sacraments Coordinator, a Director of Sacred Music and Liturgy, Adore Missionaries, and a maintenance team. Father Arriola is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, was a Bilingual Teacher of the Year in Alief ISD, and was ordained in 2019; he was named Administrator of the Shrine effective February 12, 2025 and promoted to Pastor effective February 20, 2025.
- Rev. Ricardo Arriola-Gonzalez — Pastor
- Dcn. Neil Lewis — Deacon
- Dcn. Raymundo Luna — Deacon
- Dcn. Timothy North — Deacon
- Kathy Deskins — Business Manager
- Silvia Perez — Pastoral Assistant
- Chris Bearer — Director of Sacred Music and Liturgy
- Miriam Sarahid Escobar — Director of Faith Formation (Hablo Español)
- Antonia Alfonso — First Sacraments Coordinator (Hablo Español)
- Aimee Clements — Coordinator of Catechetical Ministry
- Alex Holland — Adore Missionaries
- Francisco Vargas — Maintenance
Visiting the Shrine & Getting Involved
All are welcome to come and pray at the Shrine of the True Cross and venerate the relic of the Cross whenever the church is open throughout the year. The 24-hour Adoration Chapel in Deslatte Hall requires visitors to check in with the parish office for the door code. The parish encourages new members to become active in one of its many ministries. The annual Fall Festival (held October 18, 2025) is a major community event that draws families from across the parish. Relic cards are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese from the parish office, though they are not currently available as of recent updates. The Shrine is preparing for the 90th anniversary of its 1936 renaming with a Sacred Art Contest deadline of September 9, 2026.
- Parish Office: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM)
- Address: 300 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, TX 77539
- Phone: (281) 337-4112
- Email: [email protected]
- Fall Festival — annual community celebration
- 90th Anniversary Sacred Art Contest — deadline September 9, 2026
- Office Volunteer, OCIA sponsor, and catechist opportunities
- Bilingual parish: English and Spanish ministries
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jerome A. Rapp1908–ca. 1934
Missionary priest who built and served the original St. Joseph's wooden church in Dickinson
- Rev. Thomas A. CarneyDecember 1934–
Visionary founder of the Shrine; former president of University of Dallas and rector of St. Mary's Cathedral in Galveston; host of The Catholic Hour on NBC Radio. In 1936 he commissioned Father Deslatte to obtain the True Cross relic from Rome and oversaw the renaming and dedication of St. Joseph's as the Shrine of the True Cross
- Rev. Andrew B. Deslatte (Monsignor)
Obtained the Precious Relic of the True Cross from the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome; in 1973 built the present church and school
- Rev. Eugene CargillMarch 1, 1977–
Took over as pastor; oversaw addition of preschool program at True Cross Catholic School
- Rev. Paul Felixby 2010
Reaffirmed the Shrine's mission/vision statement in 2010
- Rev. Ricardo (Rick) Arriola-GonzalezEffective February 12, 2025 as Administrator; February 20, 2025 promoted to Pastor
Current pastor; ordained 2019; born in Guadalajara, Mexico; bilingual; previously taught in Alief ISD