About St. Francis Xavier · La Feria, Texas
St. Francis Xavier is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic parish in the small town of La Feria in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, serving the faithful of the Diocese of Brownsville. The parish's current pastor is Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia, J.C.L., and it offers daily Mass on weekdays (Tuesday–Friday), a Saturday vigil, and two Sunday Masses (one in Spanish, one in English). The community describes itself as 'a parish with a big, loving heart,' drawing families of varied cultures and ages to worship together on South Canal Street.
- Established
- 1930
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia, J.C.L.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is a small but active bilingual parish that welcomes families of all ages and backgrounds, offering daily Mass and the sacraments in both English and Spanish — including weekday Spanish Masses on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a Sunday 8:00 a.m. Spanish Mass alongside the 11:00 a.m. English Mass. Regular Confession on Tuesdays and Fridays (plus First Friday Adoration) and a strong sense of community — 'building up Community one family at a time' — make it a comfortable place for new Catholics, long-time parishioners, and visitors from the wider Rio Grande Valley.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays: 6:30 pm
- Fridays: 12:30 pm
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. (First Fridays only)
- Thursday: 7:00 PM (per Diocese of Brownsville listing)
Parish History
The first St. Francis Xavier church in La Feria was built in 1912 and dedicated on April 9, 1912 by Rev. Claudio Jaullet, administrator of the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville during a sede vacante. Sixteen years later, in 1928, the Bishop of Corpus Christi formally established St. Francis Xavier as a parish and appointed Rev. Father J. S. Schmidner (also spelled Schmidtner) as its first pastor. The parish's modest frame building held a chapel for the community to gather for worship. In July 1929 disaster struck: the entire parish and all its archived records were destroyed by fire. In 1930 the second St. Francis Xavier parish was built under Father Schmidner's direction, containing both a chapel for worship and a rectory. The Diocese of Brownsville and GCatholic both mark 1930 as the parish's official founding year.
- 1912: First church built and dedicated by Rev. Claudio Jaullet on April 9
- 1928: Parish formally established by the Bishop of Corpus Christi; Fr. J. S. Schmidner named first pastor
- July 1929: Parish and all archived records destroyed by fire
- 1930: Second (current-era) parish building erected under Fr. Schmidner, including chapel and rectory
Mission Statement
The parish's published mission statement reads, in part: 'In the heart of the Brownsville Diocese is the Catholic parish of St. Francis Xavier. We the community of St. Francis Xavier come from varied cultures and speak different languages. We are youth, young couples, elderly, children and people of all ages... Our mission is to be the heart of Christ to others.' The parish describes itself as 'the parish with a big, loving heart,' called to be servants who share their life in Christ, foster new life in Jesus' name, and reach out generously in community.
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Francis Xavier is currently led by Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia, J.C.L., who has served as pastor since July 3, 2012. The parish falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Brownsville. The parish office can be reached at (956) 797-2666 or [email protected].
- Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia, J.C.L. — Pastor (effective 07/03/2012)
- Diocese: Diocese of Brownsville
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Phone: (956) 797-2666
Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish offers faith formation and community life for all ages, organized around adults, children, students, and care/needs. Adult programming includes small groups and ministries for seniors, women, and men. Children are served through an elementary religious education program. Middle-school and high-school students have their own youth ministries, and a counseling / Care & Needs ministry supports parishioners through difficult seasons.
- Adult Small Groups
- Seniors Ministry
- Women's Ministry
- Men's Ministry
- Elementary Faith Formation (Children)
- Middle School Youth Ministry
- High School Youth Ministry
- Counseling / Care & Needs Ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Father J. S. Schmidner (Schmidtner)1928–1930s
First pastor, appointed by the Bishop of Corpus Christi when the parish was formally established in 1928; directed construction of the second parish building in 1930 after the 1929 fire.
- Rev. Claudio Jaullet1912
Administrator of the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville, sede vacante; dedicated the first St. Francis Xavier church on April 9, 1912.
- Rev. Msgr. Luis Javier Garcia, J.C.L.2012–present
Current pastor (effective July 3, 2012), per the Diocese of Brownsville Parish Finder.