About St. Edward · Dallas, Texas
St. Edward Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in East Dallas, Texas, founded in 1903 by Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne — who named it after his patron saint, St. Edward. Originally established on Elm and Hill Streets, the parish has served Dallas's Catholic faithful for more than 120 years and today worships primarily in Spanish alongside a bilingual Saturday vigil and an English Sunday Mass. Now led by Fr. Edison Vela, Pastoral Administrator, the parish is one of the oldest continuously operating Catholic communities in the Diocese of Dallas, with its current brick sanctuary built in 1926.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Edward
- Rector
- Fr. Edison Vela (Pastoral Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
St. Edward's is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Dallas and offers a uniquely bilingual, multicultural worship experience — with multiple daily Spanish Masses, a bilingual Saturday vigil, and an English Sunday Mass. Rooted in more than 120 years of East Dallas history, the parish combines deep tradition (the original 1904 wooden church still stands on campus) with active faith formation, a strong Hispanic community, and ministries such as the Serra Club's Vocation Awareness Program supporting priestly and religious vocations. It is a parish where longstanding Dallas Catholic families and newer Spanish-speaking residents worship together across generations.
Mass times at St. Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Parish History
Founded on October 13, 1903 by Bishop Edward Joseph Dunne and carved from Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Patrick's, St. Edward's is among the oldest Catholic parishes in Dallas. Its first church, a wooden structure on Elm and Hill Streets, was dedicated January 3, 1904, and still stands as the parish hall. The current brick sanctuary was built in 1926, and the parish school opened in 1912 staffed by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur.
- Founded: October 13, 1903
- Founding pastor: Fr. Joseph P. Lynch (later Bishop of Dallas)
- First church dedicated: January 3, 1904
- Current brick church built: 1926
- St. Edward's Academy opened: September 10, 1912
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by a Pastoral Administrator supported by a Dominican pastoral vicar and lay staff for faith formation and parish operations.
- Fr. Edison Vela — Pastoral Administrator
- Fr. Roberto Merced, O.P. — Pastoral Vicar
- Claudio Mora — Director of Faith Formation
- Erica Faz — Parish Secretary
- Fany Aguilar — Serra Club contact
Faith Formation & CCD
Faith formation for children and youth is coordinated through the parish CCD program under the direction of Claudio Mora. The Becker-Barrett CCD Building, acquired under Father Francis Becker's pastorate, houses religious education classrooms on the parish campus.
- Director of Faith Formation: Claudio Mora
- CCD Building: Becker-Barrett Center
Vocation Awareness Program (Serra Club)
St. Edward's hosts the Serra Club of Dallas's annual Vocation Awareness Program (VAP), a weekend retreat for men and women aged 18–40 discerning a religious vocation, held at the University of Dallas in Irving near Holy Trinity Seminary. The program is funded by raffle ticket sales ($5 each or $25 for six) conducted in diocesan parishes each spring, with the 2019 drawing held June 1. Applications are available through vapinfo.org or the Diocese of Dallas Vocations Office.
- VAP weekend at University of Dallas / Holy Trinity Seminary
- Ages 18–40
- Raffle tickets: $5 each / $25 for six
- Local contact: Fany Aguilar (St. Edward's)
- Diocesan Vocations Office: 214-379-2860
Parish Campus & Buildings
The parish campus preserves more than a century of construction history, from the 1904 wooden church (now the parish hall) to the 1926 brick sanctuary, the Sisters' convent and rectory added during Msgr. Brady's pastorate, and the Becker-Barrett CCD Building added under Father Becker.
- 1904 Wooden Church (now Parish Hall)
- 1926 Brick Sanctuary
- Convent (Sisters of St. Mary of Namur)
- Rectory
- Becker-Barrett CCD Building
Visit & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach St. Edward's at its Simpson Street address in East Dallas. Mass is celebrated daily and the parish welcomes new families to register through the parish office.
- Address: 4014 Simpson Street, Dallas, TX 75246
- Phone: (214) 823-1291
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stedwardparish.org
- Diocese: Diocese of Dallas (dallascatholic.org)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph P. Lynch1903–1910
Founding pastor; appointed Vicar General in 1910 and consecrated third Bishop of Dallas in 1911; invited the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur to found St. Edward's Academy (1912).
- Father John M. Byrnec. 1911–c. 1916
Second pastor; began fundraising for a permanent brick church but died before construction began.
- Father Patrick J. O'Gradyc. 1916–1946
Third pastor; led the parish for over 30 years and oversaw construction of the current brick church in 1926 with the help of a diocesan loan.
- Father Anthony E. Daly1946–
Succeeded Father O'Grady after his passing.
- Monsignor John P. Bradylong pastorate through 1983
Continued the parish's growth; built a new convent for the Sisters and led the campaign for a new rectory; celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest at St. Edward's in 1973.
- Father Francis Becker1984–
Acquired new property for religious education, resulting in the Becker-Barrett CCD Building named for him.
- Fr. Edison Velapresent
Current Pastoral Administrator.