About St. Celestine · Grand Saline, Texas
Mission of St. Celestine is a small Roman Catholic mission parish serving the community of Grand Saline, Texas, within the Diocese of Tyler. It is a dependent mission of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in nearby Emory, sharing its pastor and forming one of the parishes of the West Central Deanery of the diocese. The mission offers a bilingual (English and Spanish) weekly Sunday Mass along with weekly confession and monthly First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Established in February 1999, it is named for Pope Saint Celestine I (pontificate 422–432), remembered for condemning Nestorianism and commissioning Saint Patrick's mission to Ireland.
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- Saint Celestine I (Pope, 422–432)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Ledesma
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
Mission of St. Celestine offers a warm, bilingual Catholic presence in Grand Saline, where a small faith family gathers for Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, regular Saturday confession, and a quiet hour of First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. As a mission of St. John the Evangelist in Emory, it shares a dedicated diocesan pastor who shepherds the community across both locations, making it an intimate place to worship, to be known by name, and to grow in faith within the Diocese of Tyler.
Mass times at St. Celestine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (First Friday)
Parish Identity & Patron
Mission of St. Celestine is a Roman Catholic mission church in Grand Saline, Texas, under the Diocese of Tyler. It is named for Pope Saint Celestine I, who led the Church from 422 to 432 AD. He is venerated for condemning the heresy of Nestorianism and for sending Saint Patrick as a missionary to Ireland, and his feast is kept on April 6.
- Patron: Pope Saint Celestine I (422–432)
- Feast Day: April 6
- Rite: Roman-Latin
History & Mission Status
The mission was canonically erected on February 13, 1999. It functions as a dependent mission of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Emory, which was itself established as a diocesan mission in January 1996. The two communities share one pastor and belong to the West Central Deanery of the Diocese of Tyler.
- Founded: February 13, 1999
- Parent parish: St. John the Evangelist, Emory, TX
- Deanery: West Central Deanery, Diocese of Tyler
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The mission is currently served by Rev. Michael Ledesma, who is also pastor of the parent parish, St. John the Evangelist in Emory. Both communities are listed together on the Diocese of Tyler's clergy roster. Earlier website records identify Rev. Victor Hernandez as a priest associated with St. Celestine prior to the current pastor.
- Rev. Michael Ledesma — Pastor (also St. John, Emory)
- Rev. Victor Hernandez — earlier priest associated with the mission
Liturgy & Languages
Reflecting the make-up of East Texas Catholic communities, the mission celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish each Sunday, making it a gathering place for English- and Spanish-speaking faithful alike.
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Sunday Mass: bilingual
Worship Location & Contact
The mission's registered place of worship and mailing address is on Stadium Drive in Grand Saline, Texas, in Van Zandt County. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by telephone; the parish also maintains a Facebook presence under the name 'St. Celestine Catholic Mission – Grand Saline, TX'.
- Address: 870 Stadium Drive, Grand Saline, TX 75140
- Phone: (903) 962-6350
- Website: http://stcelestine.org/
- Facebook: St.Celestine Catholic Mission – Grand Saline,TX
Relationship with the Diocese of Tyler
St. Celestine sits within the Diocese of Tyler, a Latin-Rite diocese covering East Texas, and is part of its West Central Deanery. Its fellow deanery parishes and missions include St. Edward (Athens), St. Theresa (Canton), St. Boniface (Chandler), St. John the Evangelist (Emory), St. Jude (Gun Barrel City), Mary Queen of Heaven (Malakoff) and St. Luke (Wills Point).
- Diocese: Tyler
- Deanery: West Central
- Sister mission: St. John the Evangelist, Emory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Victor Hernandez
Identified on older website/whois records as a priest associated with the parish before Rev. Michael Ledesma.
- Rev. Michael Ledesma
Current pastor; also pastor of parent parish Church of St. John the Evangelist, Emory.