About St. Elizabeth Catholic Church · Bonham, Texas
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in the small North Texas community of Bonham, Fannin County, just south of the Red River. It belongs to the Diocese of Dallas and is the only Catholic church in Fannin County, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in the diocese. The parish worships at the historic 1898 church on West Tenth Street and serves a diverse congregation with four Sunday Masses, daily Mass, First Friday adoration, First Saturday devotions, and outreach to Spanish-speaking Catholics across Fannin and Grayson counties.
- Established
- 1892 (first Catholic Mass celebrated in Bonham); 1898 (first church dedicated); 1994 (elevated from mission to parish)
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth
- Rector
- Fr. Delfin Condori
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth is the only Catholic church in Fannin County, with a congregation that has worshipped on the same block in Bonham for more than 125 years. The parish welcomes English and Spanish speakers alike with four Sunday Masses, a Saturday evening Children's Mass, weekday noon Masses, weekly confession in both languages, Thursday Holy Hour, and First Friday adoration. Active ministries include the Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild, Youth Group, Prayer Shawl Group, Renovación, RCIA in English and Spanish, Marian Consecration, Familias en Misión Apostólica, a Spanish choir and an English choir, CCD/Faith Formation, and a robust Social Ministry — making it easy for new parishioners to find community and service.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 PM, Parish Center / Bishop Grahman Center (English and Spanish)
- Saturday 4:00–5:30 PM, in the Church (bilingual)
- Also by appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 PM (Holy Hour)
- First Friday of every month, 12:45–5:00 PM
History of St. Elizabeth Parish
Catholic life in Bonham predates the parish by more than a century. The first Mass was celebrated in 1892 by Father V. Quinlon, a circuit-riding priest on horseback from Clarksville. After nearly five decades as a mission served by priests from across northeast Texas, St. Elizabeth was formally established as a parish on October 30, 1994. The parish still worships in the 1902 church on land donated by Dr. J. S. Dorset in 1897. A commemorative plaque from the 1898 original, which burned around 1900, is preserved on the present building.
- First Mass in Bonham: 1892 (Father V. Quinlon, from Clarksville)
- Land purchased by Dr. J. S. Dorset: September 16, 1897 ($350)
- First church dedicated: March 20, 1898 (to 'Our Lady Della Strada')
- First church burned: c. 1900; second church finished 1902
- Mission pastors served from Clarksville, Sherman, Commerce, Paris, Denison, and Dallas
- Church largely abandoned 1916–1946
- Bishop Wendelin Nold reopened the church in 1945
- Parish formally established October 30, 1994
Devotions
St. Elizabeth observes the traditional First Friday and First Saturday devotions promoted by Our Lady of Fatima, along with monthly devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. These devotions draw parishioners into deeper prayer alongside the regular Mass schedule.
- First Saturday Devotion to Mary: 8:00 AM Confession, 8:15 AM Conference, 10:00 AM Holy Mass, 10:45 AM Rosary Meditation
- First Friday Adoration: 12:45–5:00 PM following 12:00 PM Mass
- Devotion of the Holy Face of Jesus: second Saturday of every month, 10:00–11:00 AM
- Devotion to the Blessed Mother (monthly)
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Faith Formation (CCD) classes meet Saturday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, allowing families to attend the 6:00 PM Children's Mass afterwards. The parish also prepares adults for full initiation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), offered in both English (Stephen Ward) and Spanish (Norma Gutierrez). Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Quinceañeras, and Matrimony is coordinated through the parish office; weddings and Quinceañeras require at least six months' notice and an appointment with Fr. Delfin.
- Faith Formation / CCD: Saturday 5:00–6:00 PM (DRE Jill O'Bryan, Maria Venegas)
- RCIA — English: Stephen Ward
- RCIA — Spanish: Norma Gutierrez
- Baptism, Quinceañeras, and Matrimony: by appointment with Fr. Delfin (minimum 6 months' notice for Quinceañeras and Matrimony)
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Elizabeth's ministries span liturgical service, faith formation, fellowship, charity, and Hispanic spiritual movements. The parish welcomes new members into groups like the Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild, Renovación, Youth Group, Prayer Shawl Group, and the bilingual choirs.
- Knights of Columbus — Grand Knight Jose Hernandez, 1st Tuesday at 7:00 PM
- Ladies Guild — President Kathy Felter, 3rd Wednesday at 4:30 PM
- Renovación — Mondays at 7:00 PM
- Youth Group — last Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM
- Prayer Shawl Group — last Monday of the month at 10:00 AM
- Pastoral Council — Chair Marta Schreiber
- Pastoral Care — Carol Monte and Bob Ross
- Social Ministry — Judy McMakin
- Marian Consecration
- Familias en Misión Apostólica
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful serve the parish as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, altar servers, and liturgical linen caretakers. Music is provided by both an English choir (Mary Ferguson) and a Spanish choir (Antonio Salazar). The parish's safe environment program is coordinated by Catalina Vega, in line with Diocese of Dallas requirements.
- English Choir: Mary Ferguson
- Spanish Choir: Antonio Salazar
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist: Carole Monte, Maria Ventura Benitez
- Lectors: Denise Kapp, Rosa Salazar
- Ushers: Augustine Cruz / Juan Venegas
- Altar Servers / Vocations Director: Jeff Maxwell (903-449-2448)
- Liturgical Linens: Denise Kapp, Maria Ventura Benitez
- Safe Environment: Catalina Vega
Parish Buildings and Facilities
The original 1898/1902 church sits on West Tenth Street in Bonham, while the Bishop Grahman Center — a parish hall built in 1986 and dedicated by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe on December 12, 1986 — sits on the next block north. The hall seats 200 and includes a large kitchen, parish offices, a large storage room, and seven classrooms used for religious instruction, scouts, social events, and ministry meetings. The 12:30 PM Sunday Spanish Mass and the Thursday evening confession are held in the Bishop Grahman Center.
- Church: original structure 1898, rebuilt 1902 after fire
- Parish hall (Bishop Grahman Center): built 1986, dedicated December 12, 1986
- Capacity: 200 seats in the hall
- Includes parish offices, kitchen, storage, and 7 classrooms/meeting rooms
- Used for CCD, Parish Council, Youth Group, K of C, Altar Society, and social events
Getting Involved and Safe Environment
All volunteers at St. Elizabeth must follow the Diocese of Dallas Safe Environment guidelines; if your last training was more than a year ago, you need to update your training. The parish also uses Flocknote for parish communications and accepts online donations through https://abundant.co/stelizabethbonham/give.
- Diocese of Dallas Safe Environment training required for all volunteers
- Subscribe to parish Flocknote for updates
- Online giving: https://abundant.co/stelizabethbonham/give
- St. Elizabeth Catholic Church is a Texas nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Stephan BierschenkAssigned first pastor Oct. 30, 1994; earlier served as mission priest in the 1980s
First pastor when St. Elizabeth was elevated from mission to parish. Led Spanish-language mission to Fannin and Grayson counties; refurbished the confessional, installed ceiling fans, and bought a new organ.
- Rev. Bruce BradleySeptember 1986
Assigned as pastor after Father Bierschenk was transferred. Had Mrs. Lillian Tyler of Paris refurbish the statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph; purchased oil-painting Stations of the Cross from Holy Trinity, Dallas.
- Rev. Jerome JayasuriyaAugust 9, 1988
Native of Sri Lanka; named pastor after Father Bradley was transferred in June 1988.
- Father FowlerAugust 1994
Directed the formation of a formal Parish Council.
- Rev. Rodrigo Lira1991
Spanish-speaking priest appointed by the Diocese of Dallas to serve the Spanish-speaking Catholics of St. Mary's Sherman, St. Patrick's Denison, and St. Elizabeth.
- Father Thomas Tschoepe1946
Assigned pastor after Bishop Wendelin Nold reopened the church; later became Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.
- Monsignor Edward V. McCullough1948
Pastor of St. Mary's Sherman; named mission pastor of Bonham after 1946 rededication.
- Fr. Delfin CondoriCurrent
Current pastor.