About St. Benedict · San Benito, Texas
St. Benedict Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish serving the community of San Benito, Texas, in the Diocese of Brownsville. Founded as a parish in 1912 and rooted in mission-era evangelization of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the parish has worshipped continuously for over a century on South Bowie Street. Its present brick church — built in 1925 to replace the original wooden structure destroyed by fire in 1923 — is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Today the parish offers Masses in English and Spanish throughout the week, along with Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Benedict (the Abbot)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
St. Benedict offers a warm, bilingual worship experience with three Sunday Masses (English and Spanish), daily and weekly Adoration, and regular confession times — all grounded in over a century of service to the families of San Benito. As one of the historic Catholic parishes of the Rio Grande Valley, the church community welcomes newcomers and long-time parishioners alike to share in the Eucharist and in the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Benedict
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Parish Identity & History
St. Benedict Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in San Benito, Texas, in the Diocese of Brownsville. The community was founded as a parish in 1912, though its first wooden church went up two years earlier in 1910. The Diocese of Brownsville notes 1912 as the year the parish was established — the same year the Brownsville Vicariate became the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The parish has worshipped on South Bowie Street for more than a century.
- Original wooden church erected 1910
- Parish formally established 1912
- Original church destroyed by fire 1923
- Current brick church built 1925
- Centennial celebrated July 13, 2012
The 1925 Church Building
The brick church that stands today replaced the original 1910 wooden structure destroyed by fire in 1923. Construction was led by Father Yvo Tymen, O.M.I., who served as pastor from 1921 to 1937. He also supervised the building of a rectory and the renovation of school facilities damaged by a 1933 hurricane. The church was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1977 and marked by the Texas Historical Commission in 1978.
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (1977)
- Texas Historical Commission marker (1978) — Atlas No. 5061004439
- Original 1910 church destroyed by fire in 1923
Father Yvo Tymen, O.M.I. (1879–1977)
An Oblate of Mary Immaculate missionary, Father Yvo Tymen served as pastor of St. Benedict's from 1921 to 1937. He led the construction of the present 1925 brick church after the 1923 fire, supervised the building of a new rectory, and oversaw repairs to parish school facilities damaged by a 1933 hurricane. He is the earliest pastor of the parish whose tenure is documented on the Texas Historical Commission marker.
- Pastor 1921–1937
- Led construction of the 1925 church
- Built the parish rectory
- Repaired schools after the 1933 hurricane
Mass & Worship Schedule
The parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish each week. The weekly Sunday schedule includes a Spanish Mass, an English Mass, and a noon Spanish Mass, with a Saturday vigil Mass in English the evening before. Weekday Masses are spread across Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, several celebrated bilingually or in Spanish to serve the local community.
- Saturday 5:30 PM (English)
- Sunday 8:00 AM (Spanish), 10:00 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish)
- Monday 6:00 PM (Bilingual)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM (English)
- Thursday 6:00 PM (Bilingual)
- Friday 7:00 AM (Spanish)
Diocese of Brownsville
St. Benedict is one of 72 parishes in the Diocese of Brownsville, a Roman Catholic diocese serving a four-county area of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The diocese was established in 1965 and today serves more than one million Catholics across 4,296 square miles, supported by 109 priests and 43 mission churches. The Brownsville Vicariate, of which this parish was a part at its 1912 founding, became the Diocese of Corpus Christi that same year.
- Diocese established 1965
- 72 parishes, 43 mission churches, 109 priests in the diocese
- St. Benedict founded 1912 in the Brownsville Vicariate
Visiting St. Benedict
Parishioners and visitors will find St. Benedict Catholic Church at 351 South Bowie Street in San Benito, Texas. From US-83, take the South Sam Houston Blvd exit, head north three blocks, and turn left onto South Bowie. The parish office can be reached by phone at (956) 626-1260 for current Mass times, sacramental needs, or other information.
- Address: 351 S. Bowie St., San Benito, TX 78586
- Phone: (956) 626-1260
- Directions: US-83 → S Sam Houston Blvd north → left on S Bowie
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Yvo Tymen, O.M.I.1921–1937
Oblate of Mary Immaculate missionary pastor (1879–1977) who led construction of the present 1925 brick church after the 1923 fire destroyed the original; also oversaw a new rectory and school repairs after a 1933 hurricane.