About St. Cornelius · Karnes City, Texas
St. Cornelius Catholic Church is a rural Roman Catholic parish located at 605 E. Calvert Street in Karnes City, Texas, in the Archdiocese of San Antonio (Floresville Deanery). The parish shares its pastor with St. Elizabeth Mission in Fashing, Texas, and together the two faith communities serve roughly 460 families across Karnes County. Worship is offered in English and in a bilingual Sunday Mass, with weekday Masses Monday through Saturday and confession before daily Mass and Saturday afternoons.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Cornelius (Pope Cornelius, martyr)
- Rector
- Fr. Kuriacose Ouseph
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Cornelius offers a full weekly Mass schedule including a bilingual Sunday Mass, daily Mass on most weekdays, and Saturday confession — uncommon in a rural Texas county of this size. The parish welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking families across Karnes County, and the joint St. Cornelius / St. Elizabeth Mission arrangement means that even the smallest neighboring rural community (Fashing) receives Sunday worship. A small but active staff of clergy, deacon, and lay administrators keep the parish office, bulletin, and faith formation programs running in person.
Mass times at St. Cornelius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each daily Mass
- Saturdays 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
- Or by appointment
About St. Cornelius Catholic Church
St. Cornelius is a Roman Catholic parish in Karnes City, Texas, serving the Catholic faithful of Karnes County in partnership with St. Elizabeth Mission in Fashing. The parish belongs to the Floresville Deanery of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Worship is offered in English and Spanish, and the parish maintains a small office staff to serve about 460 registered families across both worship sites.
- Part of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Floresville Deanery
- Sister parish: St. Elizabeth Mission, Fashing, Texas
- Approximately 460 families served across both communities
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Fr. Kuriacose Ouseph, with Deacon Ralph Guerra assisting in pastoral ministry. A small lay staff handles parish administration, the parish bulletin, and book-keeping.
- Pastor: Fr. Kuriacose Ouseph
- Deacon: Ralph Guerra
- Administrative Assistant: Brittany Casanova
- Secretary / Bookkeeper: Rosie Reyna-Arguellez
- Office Assistant / Bulletin Editor: Felicia Arguellez-Perales
St. Elizabeth Mission, Fashing
St. Cornelius shares its pastor with St. Elizabeth Mission, a small rural Catholic community in Fashing, Texas. The mission provides Sunday worship for Catholics in that part of Karnes County who cannot easily reach Karnes City.
- Sunday Mass at St. Elizabeth, Fashing — 8:30 am
- Mission is overseen pastorally by St. Cornelius
- Some bulletins list the Sunday Mass at Fashing as 8:45 am — confirm with parish office
Parish History
Catholic parish registers in Karnes City exist from as early as 1904, when the community was recorded as 'St. Cornelius Mission,' and from 1906 as 'St. Cornelius' — both of which indicate more than a century of Catholic worship at this site. The parish was founded under the Catholic jurisdiction that would become the Archdiocese of San Antonio and remains part of that archdiocese today.
- Parish registers begin 1904 (as St. Cornelius Mission)
- Records also begin 1906 under the name St. Cornelius
- Located in Karnes County, in the Floresville Deanery
Faith Formation and Vacation Bible School
St. Cornelius runs an annual Vacation Bible School program for children of the parish and surrounding community. Past years have used themed curricula such as Group's 'Cave Quest,' with stations for crafts, music, games, and snacks — a significant community event for a parish of this size.
- Cave Quest VBS (2016)
- VBS 2017 — Craft Station, Music Station, Sports & Games, Cavern Café
- Catholics-themed sports and games rotation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stanislaw P. Marciniak
Listed as pastor/administrator of St. Cornelius on JoinMyChurch and ChurchesInUSA; parishioners referred to him as 'Fr. Stanley' in parish Facebook posts celebrating his birthday.
- Fr. Kuriacose Ouseph
Current pastor named on the parish's official website and on the Archdiocese of San Antonio listings; also serves as Administrator of nearby parishes including St. Philip Benizi in Smiley and St. Joseph in Nixon.