About St. Cecilia · Dallas, Texas
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, part of the Diocese of Dallas. The parish serves roughly 2,500 registered families at its current church building at 1845 W. Davis St., which was dedicated in November 2011 after the original sanctuary was destroyed by a lightning strike in 2007. St. Cecilia is known both as a spiritual anchor of the historic Oak Cliff community and as a parish where ministries such as Faith Formation, the St. Cecilia School, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Women, the Guadalupanos, the choir, Bible Study and marriage enrichment thrive across generations and cultures.
- Patron
- St. Cecilia
- Rector
- Rev. Cruz Calderon
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
St. Cecilia is one of Oak Cliff's most identifiable Catholic landmarks — the very building is described as 'the center, the anchor, of this community' — and it is one of the few Dallas parishes that celebrates its full schedule of Masses bilingually every day, with five Sunday Masses (two in English, three in Spanish) and a daily Spanish evening Mass. The parish runs a Catholic school, Faith Formation and catechetical programs for children and adults, sacramental preparation, and a network of ministries that include St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Women, the Guadalupanos, the choir, Bible Study, marriage enrichment and altar servers.
Mass times at St. Cecilia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM (English and Spanish)
About St. Cecilia Catholic Church
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Dallas. The parish serves about 2,500 registered families and operates from a parish office at 1809 W. Davis St. and a church at 1845 W. Davis St. (ZIP 75208). The parish describes itself as a spiritual home and pillar of strength for the Oak Cliff community and a 'beacon of hope for 90 years.'
Parish History and the 2007 Fire
St. Cecilia's origins in Oak Cliff trace back roughly 90 years. The parish was originally founded as a Swedish Catholic congregation, which gave the early church its distinctive European flavor — a painted sanctuary and painted Stations of the Cross. For three decades (through the 2000s) the parish was led by Rev. Edmundo Paredes. On August 17, 2007, lightning struck the church, the roof collapsed and the original 450-seat sanctuary was destroyed. Parishioners remember Leticia Rodriguez driving to the scene thinking the news was 'a cruel joke.' Roughly 2,000 members drifted away in the difficult years that followed while Mass was celebrated in a gym.
- Original church was a Swedish-heritage congregation with a painted sanctuary and Stations of the Cross.
- On August 17, 2007, lightning set the church on fire and the roof collapsed.
- The parish lost about 2,000 members in the post-fire years.
- Fr. Edmundo Paredes was pastor for 30 years and shepherded the rebuild.
The 2011 Sanctuary and Rebuild
After four years of rebuilding, Bishop Kevin Farrell dedicated the new St. Cecilia sanctuary on November 20, 2011, concelebrated with auxiliary Bishop Mark Seitz, Bishop Emeritus Charles Grahmann and more than a dozen diocesan priests. The new contemporary-style building is cream-colored brick with large windows designed to eventually feature stained glass, and seats 1,100 — more than double the old church. The project cost roughly $8 million, funded by special collections in parishes across the Diocese of Dallas, foundations, businesses and parishioners; a loan of about $1.7 million was still being paid off at the time of dedication. Salvaged relics were restored: a statue of St. Cecilia survived the fire completely intact (parishioners call it a miracle) and now stands near the altar, while a burned-and-broken statue of St. Joseph was painstakingly restored and placed at the back of the new church.
- New sanctuary dedicated November 20, 2011.
- Seats 1,100 (compared to 450 in the old church).
- Roughly $8 million project funded by diocesan collections and donations.
- St. Cecilia statue survived the fire and stands near the altar.
- St. Joseph statue restored after being burned and broken.
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office is at 1809 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75208, just west of the church (1845 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75208). Office hours are Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM for lunch) and Friday 8:30 AM–12:30 PM; the office is closed Saturday and Sunday. On the last Wednesday of the month the office runs extended hours from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (closed 2:30–3:30 PM for lunch). Phone: 214-941-5821; Fax: 214-272-9950; email: [email protected]. All office information is published in both English and Spanish.
- Phone: 214-941-5821
- Fax: 214-272-9950
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish office at 1809 W. Davis St.; church at 1845 W. Davis St.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish publishes individual staff email addresses organized by role — pastor, faith formation, liturgy, music, pastoral life, sacraments, info, DRE, deacon and parish administrator — making it easy to reach the right person.
- Deacons Gonzalo Porras, Andres Larraza and Leo Diaz
- Gina Rendon — Pastoral Life Coordinator (marriage)
- Evelyn Mora — Director of Religious Education / Baptism & Sacramental Records
- Mariela Monsivais — Faith Formation Assistant
- Gael Garcia — Liturgy Coordinator
- Juan Davila — Music Director
- Ana Ramos — Administrative Assistant
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation (Formación de Fe) at St. Cecilia serves children, teens and adults in both English and Spanish. The office is staffed by Director of Religious Education Evelyn Mora ([email protected]) and assistant Mariela Monsivais ([email protected] / 214-941-5821 ext. 109). Summer office hours are Monday–Thursday 9:30 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–4:30 PM, and Friday 9:30 AM–12:30 PM (closed Saturday and Sunday). Sacramental preparation covers Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Quinceañera and marriage, with a separate 'Pastoral Life Coordinator' handling marriage prep and a sacramental records coordinator handling Baptism certificates.
- Director of Religious Education: Evelyn Mora
- Faith Formation Assistant: Mariela Monsivais (214-941-5821 ext. 109)
- Sacramental prep for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Quinceañera
- Marriage preparation coordinated by Gina Rendon
Ministries and Parish Life
The parish supports a broad range of ministries serving all ages and walks of life. The school (St. Cecilia School) and Faith Formation programs educate the next generation in the light of Christ. Outreach includes the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, providing food, clothing and shelter to those in need, with food drives on the first Thursday of each month. Other active groups named by the parish include Catholic Women, the Guadalupanos, the parish choir, Bible Study, marriage enrichment, and altar servers.
- St. Cecilia School
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Catholic Women
- Guadalupanos
- Parish Choir / Music Ministry
- Bible Study
- Marriage Enrichment
- Altar Servers
- Food Drives — first Thursday of the month
Devotions and Special Services
Beyond the regular Mass and confession schedule, the parish publishes an annual Night of Reconciliation (Noche de Confesiones) in Advent or Lent and a St. Joseph Novena (Novena a San José). Food Drives are held the first Thursday of each month in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul.
- Night of Reconciliation (Noche de Confesiones)
- St. Joseph Novena (Novena a San José)
- Monthly Food Drive (first Thursday)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edmundo Paredes1981–~2011
Pastor for 30 years; led the parish through the 2007 lightning-strike fire and the four-year rebuild of the new sanctuary, which was dedicated in November 2011 while he was still pastor.