About St. Charles Borromeo · Frankston, Texas
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Tyler serving the Frankston and Lake Palestine area of East Texas, eighteen miles south of the Tyler Loop. Established as a mission on March 8, 1997, and elevated to parish status on October 1, 2012, it sits in the Piney Woods and hill country on the shores of Lake Palestine. The parish is a warm, inclusive community of roughly 90+ families, comprised largely of baby boomers and retirees drawn from across the United States. Under the guidance of successive priests and a staff including a permanent deacon, the parish maintains a daily Mass schedule, a columbarium, a parish food pantry, faith formation for children, a parish nurse ministry, and active men's and women's councils.
- Established
- 1997
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Kusmirek
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo is a small, intimate parish of about 90 families — many retirees and newcomers to the Lake Palestine area — where newcomers are welcomed by name and quickly drawn into the life of the community. Visitors find a steady rhythm of weekday Mass (Tuesday and Friday), a Saturday vigil, a Sunday morning Mass preceded by the rosary, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesday, plus a food pantry, parish nurse ministry, men's and women's fellowship groups, and faith formation for children from pre-K through high school. The parish also operates one of the few Catholic columbariums in East Texas, blessing and dedicating it in 2018–2019 for the cremated remains of loved ones. Its location in the Piney Woods near Lake Palestine, eighteen miles south of Tyler, makes it a destination parish for visitors from across the region who worship with the community each week.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM (one hour before vigil Mass)
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (one hour before Mass)
- Or by appointment (per June 2023 bulletin)
Adoration times
- Wednesday Adoration: after the 12:00 PM Mass until 1:30 PM (per June 2023 bulletin)
- First Friday: Holy Hour following the 12:00 PM Mass
Welcome from the Pastor
The parish home page greets visitors on behalf of its 90+ registered families and identifies the community as a Roman Catholic faith community located on the shores of Lake Palestine in the Piney Woods and hill country of East Texas, eighteen miles south of the Tyler Loop. The pastor's letter emphasizes that St. Charles is warm, generous, mostly composed of baby boomers and retirees from across the United States, and that visitors from many places worship with them every week. The parish presents itself as inclusive and welcomes all in Jesus' name, inviting guests to live out their Catholic faith commitment. Mission Statement: Sharing God's Love Each Day. Vision Statement: Listening and Responding Each Day To God's Call To Love.
History of St. Charles Borromeo
St. Charles Borromeo was established as a mission on March 8, 1997 by Bishop Edmond Carmody of the Diocese of Tyler and elevated to parish status on October 1, 2012 under Bishop Alvaro Corrada. Its history is documented in detail on the parish's own history page (stcharlesfrankston.com/history.html), with narrative broken into four eras: The Very Beginning (1997–1999); a period of sustained mission growth leading to first resident priests (2007–2012); Parish and Founding Pastor (2012–2016); and Continued Growth and More Changes (2016–). Key milestones include the move from the Berryville daycare into the Frankston building (June 1997), the arrival of Father Joseph Ezharath as first resident priest-in-charge (Sept 2007), the arrival of Father Jones Jayaraj (2009), founding pastor Father Christopher V. Ruggles's tenure (2012–2016 and again from 2018), and the dedication of the columbarium by Bishop Strickland on April 22, 2018.
- 1997 (March 8): First Mass as a mission in Berryville
- 1997 (June): Moved into purchased Frankston building (from Dana Bizell, $50,000)
- 2007 (Sept): Father Joseph Ezharath named first resident priest-in-charge
- 2009 (March): Father Jones Jayaraj ("Father Jay") begins service
- 2012 (Oct 1): Mission elevated to Parish; Father Christopher V. Ruggles, JCL named founding pastor
- 2016 (Aug): Father Ruggles reassigned to Nacogdoches
- 2016 (Aug): Father Jonathon Frels arrives as parish administrator
- 2018 (Jan 19): Father Ruggles returns by Bishop Strickland's assignment
- 2018 (April 22): Bishop Strickland blesses and dedicates the columbarium
- 2019 (June 30): Father John Gomez blesses the columbarium
- Ongoing: Pastored by Fr. John Gomez, then Fr. Mark Kusmirek (2024); Fr. Hank Lanik (Administrator, 2025)
Staff & Parish Leadership
Pastoral and lay leadership at St. Charles Borromeo is documented in detail on the parish 'Parish Organization Contacts' page. The Office Manager / Parish Secretary is Therese Burgamy. Pastoral care is provided by the pastor (currently Fr. Mark Kusmirek per the March 2024 bulletin; Fr. Hank Lanik is listed as Administrator on the parish website in 2025), and is assisted by Permanent Deacons Deacon Jim Boland (also Director of Religious Education, Liturgical Commission) and Deacon Larry Gottschalk (Liturgy Committee). A wide range of ministries and councils report to the parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Mark Kusmirek (March 2024 bulletin)
- Administrator: Fr. Hank Lanik (2025, parish website)
- Deacon Jim Boland — permanent deacon, DRE, Liturgical Commission member
- Deacon Larry Gottschalk — permanent deacon, Liturgy Committee
- Office Manager / Parish Secretary: Therese Burgamy
- Parish Bookkeeper: Laura Williams (2024), Kristina Wood (2024 alternate)
- Parish Nurse: Sue Owens, RN (with Karen Bledsoe as assistant)
Parish Pastoral Council & Finance Council
The Parish Pastoral Council provides pastoral counsel and meets as needed at the pastor's call. The Finance Council oversees the parish's temporal affairs and is chaired by Gail Eubank with members Mary Ann Cluley, Bruce Harbert, and Jimmy Johnson (per the parish contacts page). Later bulletins (2023–2024) show chair transitions and additions including Mary Endres and Laura Williams.
- Parish Pastoral Council Chair: Lance Brown; later Mary Endres (pro-tem, 2023–2024)
- Finance Council Chair: Gail Eubank (Mary Endres, Laura Williams in later years)
- Ethics and Integrity: Mo Watkins
Liturgy Committee & Music Ministry
Liturgy is coordinated by a Liturgy Committee led by Ramona Chance (with members Therese Burgamy, Richard Connor, Martin Cameron, and Deacon Larry Gottschalk). The Choir Director is Ramona Chance. The Church Art and Environment ministry, led by Suzanne House, dresses the church for seasons and feasts. Suzanne House also sits on the broader Parish Liturgical Commission alongside Deacon Jim Boland, Lance Brown, Therese Burgamy, Gail Eubank, and Ramona Chance.
- Liturgy Committee Chair: Ramona Chance
- Choir Director: Ramona Chance
- Church Art and Environment: Suzanne House
- Altar Servers: Deacon Jim Boland
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
Faith Formation classes for children from Pre-K through high school meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, September through May, and are coordinated by Karla Moyer (DRE per June 2023 bulletin; Deacon Jim Boland served earlier in that role). A Sacraments Class is held in the parish hall on Sundays from 10:15 to 11:15 AM, the same time as coffee-and-donuts fellowship after Mass. Baptism is arranged by contacting Father Mark; Marriage preparation requires contacting a priest at least six months in advance; and RCIA along with adult catch-up preparation for missing sacraments is handled by contacting the pastor.
- Faith Formation: Pre-K–High School; Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 PM, Sept–May
- Sacraments Class (parish hall): Sundays 10:15–11:15 AM
- RCIA for adults: contact Fr. Mark
- Director of Religious Education: Deacon Jim Boland (orig.); Karla Moyer
Outreach & Parish Nurse Ministry
The parish maintains an active Food Pantry coordinated by Mary Ann Cluley — an outreach to neighbors in the Frankston area — and a Parish Nurse ministry led by Sue Owens, RN. The parish nurse's compassionate work during the COVID-19 era was publicly recognized with a St. Charles Borromeo Service Award the weekend of November 6–7, 2021, when Sue Owens was honored alongside Jimmy Johnson for helping parishioners secure and ride to vaccine appointments and for ongoing support to the ill.
- Parish Food Pantry Coordinator: Mary Ann Cluley
- Parish Nurse: Sue Owens, RN (assisted by Karen Bledsoe)
- St. Charles Borromeo Service Award 2021 recipients: Sue Owens and Jimmy Johnson
Men's & Women's Fellowship
Two parish affinity groups anchor much of the lay fellowship and fund-raising life of the parish. The St. Charles Men's Club meets at 6:00 PM on the first Monday of each month and is led by president Lance Brown with treasurer Bruce Harbert and secretary Gary Chance. The Ladies of St. Charles meets at 6:00 PM on the first Tuesday and is led by president Lynn Andrews, vice-president Angela Vrba, treasurer Jeanne Feger, and secretary Therese Burgamy.
- St. Charles Men's Club: 1st Monday, 6:00 PM
- Ladies of St. Charles: 1st Tuesday, 6:00 PM
Columbarium
Located behind the church, the parish columbarium provides a sacred resting place for the cremated remains of loved ones — a project that began almost immediately upon Father Christopher Ruggles's return to the parish in January 2018. The forms for concrete bases were poured not long after, and Bishop Joseph Strickland blessed and dedicated the completed columbarium on Sunday, April 22, 2018. A second blessing was celebrated by Father John Gomez on June 30, 2019, with the Columbarium Committee including Father Gomez (advisor), chair Bruce Harbert, vice-chair Jimmy Johnson, secretary Therese Burgamy, Ken Cluley, Helen Griffin, Mike Heine, and Mary LaRoux. Columbarium business is handled by appointment only through the parish office (Wednesdays and Thursdays per the latest schedule).
- Columbarium blessing: April 22, 2018 by Bishop Strickland
- Second blessing: June 30, 2019 by Father John Gomez
- Committee chair: Bruce Harbert (Jimmy Johnson vice-chair)
- Business hours: By appointment only
Office Hours & Parish Office
The parish office serves visitors on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and on Thursday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Columbarium business is conducted by appointment only. The office was enlarged and renovated in early March 2018 and completed in May 2018, after which a window in the office provides a direct view to the front door — a small but appreciated touch implemented by Father Ruggles upon his return.
- Office hours: Tuesday–Wednesday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
- Thursday: 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
- Columbarium Business: by appointment only
Ongoing Events & Photo Galleries
A dedicated page (stcharlesfrankston.com/ongoing-events-in-pictures.html) catalogs parish life in photographs. Notable events documented include the columbarium blessing by Father Gomez on June 30, 2019 (with the full Columbarium Committee) and the November 6–7, 2021 St. Charles Service Awards, when Sue Owens and Jimmy Johnson were honored for their service during the pandemic and beyond. The parish has also been blessed with pastoral visits by visiting clergy over the years, with photographs preserved for future parishioners.
- Columbarium blessing photos (June 30, 2019)
- 2021 St. Charles Borromeo Service Award photos
- Anniversary Masses (e.g., March 8, 2017)
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Charles Borromeo is a parish of the Diocese of Tyler, whose contact for Ethics and Integrity is Very Rev. John Gomez, JCL (903-266-2159, [email protected]). The parish bulletins routinely include links to diocesan websites and information (Mass schedules, ethics/integrity reporting, stewardship resources). Bishops who have shaped St. Charles's history include Bishop Edmond Carmody (founder, 1997), Bishop Alvaro Corrada (2012 elevation to parish), and Bishop Joseph Strickland (active assignment 2017–present).
- Diocese: Diocese of Tyler
- Bishops: Edmond Carmody (founder), Alvaro Corrada (elevation), Joseph Strickland (current)
- Diocesan Ethics & Integrity: Very Rev. John Gomez, JCL
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Zach Kunnakkathuthara1997– (mission era)
First priest-in-charge of the new Frankston mission, while also associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Palestine.
- Father Joseph EzharathSeptember 1, 2007 – March 19, 2009
First resident priest-in-charge of the mission; led continued growth as a faith community.
- Father Jones Jayaraj ("Father Jay")March 19, 2009 – September 24, 2012
Priest-in-charge; expanded outreach to the Hispanic population in the Frankston area.
- Rev. Christopher V. Ruggles, JCLOctober 1, 2012 – August 1, 2016
Founding pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish at its elevation; oversaw debt pay-off via 'Ruggles' Raffle' fundraiser.
- Father Jonathon FrelsAugust 1, 2016 – September 2017 (approx. 13 months)
Parish administrator; newly ordained when he arrived.
- Father Gary RottmanFall 2017 – early 2018 (part-time)
Served part-time while also heading diocesan prison ministry; reassigned to prison ministry full-time.
- Rev. Christopher V. Ruggles, JCLJanuary 19, 2018 – (return)
Returned by assignment of Bishop Joseph Strickland; oversaw office renovation and columbarium construction and dedication.
- Rev. John Gomez, JCLaround 2019–2023
Pastor; blessed columbarium June 30, 2019; later Diocesan Ethics & Integrity contact.
- Rev. Mark Kusmirekat least through March 31, 2024
Current pastor per Easter Sunday 2024 bulletin; [email protected].
- Fr. Hank Lanik2025 (current per parish website home page)
Listed as Administrator on the parish home page.